Iran says US-Russia ceasefire should be expanded to cover all of Syria

Iran is calling for the United States and Russia to expand their ceasefire agreement in Syria to cover the entire state instead of just the southwestern region, Reuters reported Monday.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi told the Tasnim news agency that an expansion of their agreement is necessary in order for the agreement to be successful, the news wire reported.

“The agreement can be fruitful if it is expanded to all of Syria and includes all the area that we discussed in Astana talks for de-escalating the tension,” Qasemi said. 

{mosads}”Iran is seeking Syria’s sovereignty and security, so a ceasefire cannot be limited to a certain location,” he continued. “No agreement would be successful without taking the realities on the ground into account.”

The ceasefire and “de-escalation agreement” began Sunday, after President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Syrian civil war during a closed-door meeting during the G-20 Summit in Germany.

While the U.S. supports rebel groups fighting against Syrian President Bashar Assad and his military, Russia and Iran back the controversial leader.

Ceasefire agreements similar to this one have not kept in the past, the news wire reported.

Qasemi also reportedly said that the Russians have fully briefed Tehran on the agreement, but Iran has spotted “ambiguities in the deal mainly related to the American recent measures in Syria.”