Iran shows willingness to mediate more prisoner swaps in Syria

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Iran showed willingness to pay efforts for coordination and facilitation of more abductees and prisoners’ swaps between the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) and the Syrian government.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran, as one of the three guarantors of the Astana peace process, is pleased with the recent successful exchange of abductees and prisoners at Abu Zandin crossing in the eastern countryside of Aleppo,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said.

“Iran wants parties involved to make more efforts to coordinate and facilitate prisoner exchanges in the future,” he added.

The prisoner swap was carried out on December 17, 2021, under the supervision of Iran and Russia by the Syrian Red Crescent and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and saw the release of 10 captives by the Syrian government and opposition, According to Tehran Times.

“Iran is trying to increase the number of prisoner swaps through the Astana guarantors, the Red Cross, the Syrian Red Crest and the Syrian sides and boost measures to build confidence between the two sides,” Khatibzadeh noted.

It is worth mentioning, the two parties [the government and opposition] conducted previous exchange processes the last of which was in July.