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Yahya Rahim Safavi, a military advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, has expressed concern that the US and Russia may plot a “conspiracy” over Syria.

Safavi expressed worry that Washington-Moscow cooperation over Syria may “leave a smaller share for Iran”, the IRIB TV reported September 22.

Safavi added he was worried that the US could deceit Russia into a game whose winner would be Washington.

“Therefore we have to watch our interests, especially regarding sustainable security and the depth of strategic defense for Iran,” he said.

While Tehran and Moscow back Bashar Assad as the president of Syria, the US and Syrian opposition groups are pushing for his dismissal. Assad’s presidential term will end in 2021.

Twenty-three countries, including the US, Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran met over the Syrian issue on September 22 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The meeting ended in no agreement.

On the sidelines of the meeting, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Assad and his ally Russia need to play their part as the US tries to resolve the problem.

Kerry’s Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov acknowledged that the Syrian opposition wants the removal of Assad, but noted that doing so should not empower terrorist groups, such as the “Islamic State” (IS, aka ISIS, ISIL, Daesh).

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