Russia: Iran’s presence in Syria is completely legitimate
Russia cannot force Iranian armed forces to leave Syrian territory, because their presence there is legitimate and fully conforms to international law, said the Russian ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov.
Israel has consistently accused Iranian authorities of intending to create a hostile foothold on their borders and demands the withdrawal of Iranian troops from Syrian territory.
“Iran’s presence in Syria is completely legitimate according to the principles of the UN Charter. We can speak with our Iranian partners openly and plainly, attempting to convince them to do or not do this or that,” Viktorov reported on a local TV broadcast. He noted that Russia cannot force Iran to abandon Syria, adding that Iranian forces are playing an important role in the struggle with terrorism in Syria. Viktorov emphasized that the demands for the expulsion of foreign troops from Syrian territory are currently “unrealistic”.