Iranian foreign minister calls Russia great trade and political partner

Russia is a great trade and political partner for Iran, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in an interview with Le Figaro newspaper.

"Russia is a great trade and political partner for us. It understands us because it is itself the victim of US sanctions," Zarif said. "The US is pushing all our neighbors to boycott us. However, it doesn't look like it's working."

The foreign minister added that "Iran enjoys cooperation with Russia and Turkey on the Syrian dossier." He noted the importance of "restoring Syria's unity, eliminating terrorists and putting an end to bloodshed." Zarif emphasized that on Syrian settlement, Iran "stands for a political solution with new elections, so that all Syrians, including refugees, could freely express their will."

Zarif also talked about Israel's concern over Iran's military presence in Syria. "We have a military presence in Syria because we were invited by the government, solely for the purpose of fighting against jihadists. Everybody recognizes Iran's contributions to the fight against terrorism and extremism. There are no other reasons for us to be there [in Syria]," he concluded.