Iranian Foreign Minister Discusses Northeast Syria With Moscow, Baghdad, Damascus

TEHRAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th October, 2019) Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Thursday held phone talks with the foreign ministers of Syria, Iraq and Russia to discuss the latest developments in Syria, his office said.

"Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held telephone conversations with the foreign ministers of Iraq, Russia and Syria and separately discussed with each of them the development of the situation in the region, especially in northern Syria," the statement said.

The discussions took place amid the Turkish military operation against Kurdish militia in northern Syria, which was launched on October 9 to clear the border area of Kurdish militants after President Donald Trump decided to withdraw US troops from the area.

Damascus has called the Turkish operation an invasion and deployed its troops to the north of the country. The international community has condemned the operation, with the US and EU imposing sanctions.

Earlier in the day, the United States and Turkey reached an agreement to implement a 120-hour ceasefire in northeast Syria to allow the withdrawal of the Kurdish People's Protection Units' (YPG) forces. All military operations under Turkey's Peace Spring will be paused and the operation will be halted entirely on completion of the withdrawal.