Putin rejects calls for truce in Idlib as Syria prepares to attack rebel stronghold

The Russian, Turkish and Iranian presidents met on Friday in Tehran as part of a high-profile, seemingly tense summit that promised to shape one of the last battles of the Syrian conflict and determine the outcome of the war. ISTANBUL –

Meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani came as the Syrian government prepared a total attack on the last rebel stronghold in Idlib province.

Iran and Russia support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey supports the Syrian opposition. Friday's talks marked the third time the leaders met to negotiate the Syrian conflict, but they are also following weeks of tough speeches about the fate of Idlib and the peace talks in general.

The talks also coincided with an apparent change in the Syrian strategy of the Trump administration, a strategy that would expand the US military presence while putting more emphasis on Iran, officials said Thursday. US.

[Trump agrees to an indefinite military effort and new diplomatic push in Syria]

Together, the maneuvers in Tehran and Washington have added a new urgency to international efforts to contain violence in Syria. They also highlighted the extent to which the United States has been isolated from some of the most important diplomacy as regards the war.

For Russia and Syria, a victory at Idlib would seal the triumph of the government after a rebellion of several years. Assad regained control of most of the territory that his forces lost in the fighting, with the help of Russian military forces and Iran-backed fighters.

But Idlib, home to some 3 million people, remains largely in rebel hands – and Turkish troops are stationed in the province to monitor a partial ceasefire.

The region in northwestern Syria is controlled by a coalition of Islamist groups, including a former al-Qaida affiliate. Russia has urged Turkey to rid Idlib of jihadists, which it says have launched attacks on a nearby Russian air base.

On Friday, Turkish Erdogan urged his counterparts at the summit to accept a ceasefire rather than pursue a life-threatening attack. Turkey, which hosts more than 3 million Syrian refugees, fears a new influx of displaced people, analysts said.

"There are a lot of civilians in Idlib. We have to be careful, "he said. "If we can do a ceasefire here today, I think it will be one of the most important steps of the summit."

In a statement released on Friday, UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, said that a new escalation of fighting in Idlib would "endanger the lives of more than one person." million children ".

"Thousands of children in Idlib have been forced out of their homes many times and are now living in overcrowded makeshift shelters with food, water and drugs in short supply," said the director. Fonds, Henrietta Fore. "A new wave of violence could leave them stuck between battle lines or caught in crossfire, with potentially life-threatening consequences."

[Syria’s last rebel stronghold braces for the regime’s wrath]

But Putin on Friday rejected the Turkish leader's call to end the fighting. And this week, Russian fighter planes have struck militant positions in at least one town in Idlib, a British war watchdog said.

On Friday, it was unclear whether the three leaders agreed to kill the violence or whether a military attack was imminent.

Summit leaders "will not have the same vision for Syria and will not be on the same page regarding Idlib," Asli Aydintasbas, a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations, said on Friday.

Turkey fears that a direct confrontation with the militants will provoke a reaction of attack against civilians in the Turkish cities. Instead, Turkey has sought to separate some of Idlib's more moderate opposition fighters from hardcore Islamist militants affiliated with al Qaeda. These fighters belong to the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS.

"Turkey's goal in Idlib has been to avoid another destabilizing conflict at its borders. Ankara has argued for a containment strategy, giving it more time and space to separate moderate opposition from transnational jihadists, "the Brussels-based International Crisis Group said in a report this week.

But, he said, "it is not clear that the elimination of HTS would satisfy Russia and prevent an Syrian regime's offensive in Idlib".

Louisa Loveluck in Beirut contributed to this report.