Will the Trump Regime Clash with Russia and Iran Over Syria’s Offensive to Liberate Idlib?

By Stephen Lendman

Idlib province, Syria is controlled by US-supported Al-Nusra and other Al Qaeda affiliated terrorists.

So-called “rebels” or “opposition forces” are mercenary hired guns – used by Washington, NATO, Israel and regional regimes hostile to Syrian sovereign independence.

Sergey Lavrov called terrorists infesting Idlib an “abscess” essential to eliminate. Iran called for “clean(ing) (them) out” of the province, their last major stronghold in the country.

Secretary of State Pompeo and other Trump regime officials called the upcoming Syrian offensive to liberate Idlib an escalation of war. It’s just the opposite!

Meeting with his Syrian counterpart in Damascus Walid al-Muallem on Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif minced no words, saying:

“All of Syrian territory must be preserved, and all the sects and groups should start the round of reconstruction as one collective and the displaced should return to their families,” adding:

“And the remaining terrorists in the remaining parts of Idlib must be cleaned out, and the region should be placed back under the control of the Syrian people.”

A statement from Assad’s office said Syria’s government and its allies “asserted that the pressures from some Western states on Syria and Tehran will not deter the two countries from continuing to defend their principles.”

Ahead of the offensive by Syrian forces to liberate Idlib from US-supported terrorists, Sergey Lavrov said these elements in Idlib and elsewhere in Syria “suffer no shortage of weapons and munitions.”

“(T)hey use state-of-the-art weapons, such as unmanned aerial vehicles. Evidently, it would be impossible without foreign sponsors.”

“The counter-terrorist operation in Syria has exposed numerous evidence of supplies of various weapons and hardware to terrorists by bogus companies via third countries” – indicating Washington, NATO, and Israel as key suppliers.

Lavrov called for ending the bogus practice of dividing terrorists into “good” and “bad” ones. They’re all cutthroat killers recruited by Washington and its imperial partners from scores of countries – deployed to Syria as mercenary foot soldiers, aiding the US aim to forcefully topple Assad.

On Monday, Trump warned Assad “not (to) recklessly attack Idlib Province. The Russians and Iranians would be making a grave humanitarian mistake to take part in this potential human tragedy. Hundreds of thousands of people could be killed. Don’t let that happen!”

UN Chief Sides with Aggressors in Syria

They’re threatened by US/NATO/Israeli/Saudi-supported terrorists, holding many Idlib civilians hostage as human shields – not by Syrian forces, intending to liberate them from brutal US-supported bondage.

Separately, Nikki Haley tweeted:

“All eyes on the actions of Assad, Russia, and Iran in Idlib #chemicalweapons.”

Russia has hard evidence of a planned CW incident coming in Idlib to be falsely blamed on Damascus – to be followed by US, UK, French terror-bombing of Syrian sites like last April, escalating conflict more than already, a scheme the Kremlin is going all-out trying to stop by exposing it.

Over the weekend, Trump regime officials James Jeffrey (US special representative for Syria engagement) and Joel Rayburn (US special envoy for Syria) met with Israeli officials in Jerusalem on the upcoming Syrian offensive to liberate Idlib, plotting their counter-strategy.

On Monday, Israeli war minister Avigdor Lieberman warned Tehran, saying:

“We will handle any Iranian threat, no matter where. As for the threat from Iran, we are not limiting ourselves to Syria. That should be clear.”

“I’m saying we will handle any Iranian threat, no matter where it comes from. We are maintaining the right to act…and any threat or anything else that comes up is dealt with.”

Lieberman warned that Israeli warplanes will continue striking Iran’s presence in Syria, along with alleged missiles installed in Iraq, the claim denied by Tehran.

“The lie disseminated by some media on shipment of Iran-made missiles to Iraq is totally irrelevant and unfounded,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi stressed, adding:

“Such news comes merely to cause panic among countries in the region and is in line with their policy to spread Iranophobia.”

Iran only has military advisors in Syria, posing no threat to Israel or any other countries. The Netanyahu regime’s phony claim otherwise risks escalating conflict more than already.

So do Trump regime threats against Damascus. In the upcoming battle to liberate Idlib from US-supported terrorists, if US/NATO/Israeli intervention kills or otherwise harms Russian personnel in Syria, Moscow will surely go all-out to protect them, including by retaliating against hostile forces.

It’s unclear how far the Trump regime, NATO, and Israel will go to counter Syria’s upcoming offensive to liberate Idlib.

If they intervene directly against government forces, threatening or harming Russian personnel aiding them, a US/Russian clash could follow.

Will Idlib prove a flashpoint, igniting greater conflict in Syria than already? Is US/Russian confrontation inevitable in the country?

Moscow supports Syrian sovereign independence, its territorial integrity, and right of its people to choose their own leadership and governance – free from foreign interference. It wants terrorists in the country eliminated.

Washington wants Syria transformed into another US vassal state, the country partitioned, its resources looted, its people exploited, and Iran isolated – ahead of a similar scheme to topple its legitimate government.

It’s using terrorists to advance its imperium. Will opposing US/Russian aims in Syria result in direct confrontation between the world’s dominant nuclear powers?

Is unthinkable WW III possible with nuclear weapons, risking humanity’s survival?

https://www.globalresearch.ca/will-the-trump-regime-clash-with-russia-and-iran-over-syrias-offensive-to-liberate-idlib/5652906

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected].

His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Articles by: Stephen Lendman

About the author:

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.” http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.

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