Iran, Russia Top Diplomats Discuss Syria, Yemen

They met in the Italian capital of Rome on Friday on the sidelines of the 4th annual Mediterranean Dialogues (MED) conference.

During the closed door session, Zarif and Lavrov discussed ways to boost bilateral relations between Tehran and Moscow and the latest efforts to resolve the Syrian and Yemeni crises.

Earlier, Zarif had met with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, discussing the latest developments in the Arab country.

Conflict erupted in Syria back in 2011, when a small group of opposition forces took up arms against Damascus. Soon, however, a mix of international terrorists and paid mercenaries mingled with and then largely sidestepped the armed Syrian opposition groups, effectively turning the Arab country into a battlefield for foreign governments opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

But the Syrian military, with advisory military help from Iran and Russia — and a Russian aerial bombardment campaign — has retaken control of much of the country, and the conflict is generally believed to be winding down.

Heading a high-ranking delegation, Zarif arrived in Rome on Wednesday night to attend the Mediterranean Dialogues conference. 

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