Iran International
A senior commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) was killed in Syria's Aleppo province during an overnight attack by Islamist forces opposed to the Syrian government, Iranian media reported Thursday.
Brigadier General Kioumars Pourhashemi, also known as Haji Hashem, was a senior military advisor in Syria, the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News reported, adding that he was killed by “Takfiri terrorists,” a term widely used in Shiite-majority Iran to refer to jihadists or supporters of radical Sunni Islam.
Islamist militants from US-designated Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied rebel groups launched an offensive on Wednesday, seizing control of several towns and villages in northwest Aleppo province, a region under the control of Iran-backed supporters of the Bashar al-Assad government.
The attack marks the most significant operation since March 2020, when a ceasefire negotiated by Russia, a key ally of Assad, and Turkey, a supporter of the rebels, brought an end to years of fighting that had uprooted millions of Syrians opposed to Assad's rule.
The Syrian army reported heavy losses among the attackers, whom it described as "terrorists" operating across a broad front. The army also said it was working with Russia and unnamed "friendly forces" to regain territory and reestablish previous lines of control.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that at least 130 people have been killed in the fighting, including 65 members of the HTS, 18 allied fighters, and 49 Syrian government soldiers.
Referring to the Wednesday attack, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the unrest in Syria was part of a US-Israeli design aimed at destabilizing the region’s security, during a phone call with his Lebanese counterpart Abdullah Bou Habib, Iran's Foreign Ministry quoted him as saying.
Russian warplanes, alongside Syrian fighter jets, have bombarded opposition positions near the Turkish border as part of efforts to repel the attack, Reuters reported on Thursday.
Syrian opposition forces are said to be operating near Aleppo within the boundaries of the Idlib de-escalation zone established in a 2019 agreement between Russia, Iran, and Turkey, the Reuters report added citing Turkish security sources.
The talks scheduled for November 29 were announced following a resolution by the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, condemning Tehran's lack of transparency and violations of its obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
While the United States has stated it will not participate in the November 29 talks, some Iranian observers, including Mahmoud Abbaszadeh Meshkini, a former member of the Iranian parliament's foreign policy and national security committee, have expressed skepticism. Meshkini remarked, "Europeans do not make decisions on Iran's nuclear program independent of the United States. Their foreign policy aligns with US policies and priorities."
Meshkini warned that Iran should not enter the talks without a clear objective, adding that Tehran should avoid "negotiations for the sake of negotiating."
The hardline daily Kayhan, closely aligned with the office of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has emphasized that "while the talks are essential, the Pezeshkian administration should not be involved in the negotiations." Kayhan criticized the government for ignoring "the Europeans' hostile actions against Iran and the IAEA's recent resolution, which was drafted by the very countries Iran plans to negotiate with."
The paper further accused the administration of "repeated retreats" from its positions while the West continues to disregard the Pezeshkian administration's "optimistic overtures." It also noted that European nations have failed to acknowledge Pezeshkian's victory in Iran's presidential election. Kayhan warned that some might view the government's approach as "a treacherous disregard for past experiences that have harmed Iran's national interests."
The daily characterized "negotiations with Europe as a mistake" and reiterated that talks with the EU-3 are bound to fail.
The upcoming negotiations are set to take place two years after the last round of talks between Iran and European nations. However, this is not a high-level meeting, as deputy foreign ministers are scheduled to discuss "a range of bilateral, regional, and international issues," according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
The broad scope of the talks suggests that the agenda extends beyond Iran's nuclear program. Meanwhile, the moderate news outlet Khabar Online described the talks as an effort by Iran to reduce tensions with Europe.
Iranian media have also lauded the role of former Majles Speaker Ali Larijani, now a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Khamenei, in shaping diplomatic developments with Europe and the Middle East. Larijani was the first to propose negotiating with Europe and the United States in recent weeks. Observers have also noted his involvement in brokering the cease-fire between Hezbollah and Israel.
Politician Ali Mohammad Namazi told Nameh News website that Larijani went to Syria and Lebanon with an important mandate from Khamenei and conducted some successful negotiations. Namazi said that Larijani's political comeback was significant and meaningful. He added that what brought him back to the forefront of Iranian politics included the prospect of a change in relations between Iran and the United States, and the tensions in Lebanon and Gaza that brought Iran very close to an all-out war with Israel.
He highlighted Larijani's experience as a former secretary of the Supreme Council of National Security from 2005 to 2007 and suggested that Pezeshkian, who maintains good relations with Larijani, should consider asking him to assume that role once again for Iran.
Reformist figure Mohammad Ali Abtahi echoed this sentiment, describing Larijani's recent mission to Lebanon as marking "a strategic shift in Iran's foreign policy" in the region. Similarly, another reformist, Mohammad Atrianfar, argued that Larijani should be reappointed as the secretary of Iran's Supreme Council of National Security, citing his pragmatic approach and his potential to facilitate the resumption of ties between Iran and the United States.