In separate phone calls on Tuesday, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri discussed the ongoing security threat in Syria with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, as well as his Iraqi and Syrian counterparts, Major General Yahya Rasool and General Abdul Karim Mahmoud Ibrahim, respectively.

The discussions centered on the resurgence of terrorism in northwestern Syria, where government forces are battling a lightening offensive by foreign-backed militants who have captured swathes of Aleppo and moved as far south as Hama since Wednesday.

General Bagheri emphasized that the coordinated timing of these attacks with a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon indicates a dangerous scenario orchestrated by Americans and Israelis aimed at undermining Syria and its allies in the Axis of Resistance.

The top military officials expressed their strong support for the legitimate Syrian government and agreed to take necessary measures to assist the Syrian Army in its counteroffensive.

They also emphasized that it was imperative for Syria’s neighbors to prevent military assistance to the terrorist groups from their allies in the region.