Obama Says Iran Has a ‘Political Role’ in Future Syria

In a significant shift following the nuclear deal with Iran, U.S. president Barack Obama said that Tehran should play a role in any political solution to the Syrian civil war.

“I think it’s important for them to be part of the conversation,” Obama told a press conference that focused on the nuclear deal. The president said countries with whom Washington has previously disagreed in other areas, such as Iran and Russia, and allies in the Gulf and Turkey, would have to “buy in” to any solution to the Syrian conflict.

“It’s gotten caught up in both sectarian conflict and geopolitical jockeying, and in order for us to resolve it, there’s going to have to be agreement among the major powers that are interested in Syria that this is not going to be won on the battlefield,” Obama said.

Iran and Russia have been the main international backers and bank-rollers of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, who was seen as having been boosted by the Iranian nuclear deal.

Israeli Commandos Killed Syrian General: NSA Leak

Israeli naval commandos assassinated one of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s top generals, according to a document leaked to the Intercept website by American whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Brig Gen Mahmoud Suleiman was shot dead by a sniper on a beach near the Mediterranean Syrian port of Tartus in August 2008.

Former U.S. intelligence officers told the Intercept that classification markings on the leaked document indicate the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) had made the discovery by monitoring Israeli communications. Snowden worked for the NSA as a contractor.

A top-secret entry in the NSA’s internal version of Wikipedia, called Intellipedia, described the assassination by “Israeli naval commandos” near Tartus as the “first known instance of Israel targeting a legitimate (Syrian) government official,” according to the Guardian.

Suleiman’s official job description, according to the newspaper, was working on defense and security issues for Assad, however Israeli and Syrian opposition sources claimed he worked as “liaison” with Hezbollah. Secret U.S. documents also described his role as: “Syrian special presidential adviser for arms procurement and strategic weapons.”

Neither Israel nor the NSA responded to requests for comment, the Intercept said.

Double Suicide Bombing Kills Leader of Hard-Line Rebels

The leader of the hard-line rebel group, Ahrar al-Sham, and several of his lieutenants were reportedly killed in a double suicide bombing in northern Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and other activist groups reported that Abu Abdulrahman Salqeen and six others were killed in the attack.

Ahrar al-Sham is battling against both the Assad government and its rival the Islamic State. The attack marks the second time in less than a year that the group’s leadership has been removed in an attack. The attack took place on Tuesday at Ahrar al-Sham’s headquarters, northwest of Idlib. No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Recommended Reads

• Foreign Policy: Could the Iran Deal Lead to a Syria Deal?
• The New York Times: Syria Increasingly Disintegrates in Crucible of War
• The Spectator: The Arab States Have Made Their Choice. They Think Backing Al-Qaeda is the Best Way to Defeat Isis
• The Intercept: The Syrian Refugee Crisis Will Transform Middle East Politics
• AlJazeera America: Isolated in Zaatari Camp, Syrian Refugees Find Ways to Get Online
• CBS News: Water Used as Weapon of War against Syrian Refugees