Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer has called on Iran and Russia to act in accordance with international humanitarian law, following recent airstrikes in Syria.
Russian strikes hit Aleppo for the first time since 2016 on Saturday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), after rebel forces launched an offensive against the Syrian government last week.
In a statement, Mr Falconer urged “all actors involved” not to target civilians in Syria, as he told the Commons the Government is “very alive to the terrorist threats that could emanate”.
I call directly this evening on all actors involved, including Iran and Russia, to act in accordance with international humanitarian law and not to target civilians or civilian infrastructure, including health facilities
He said: “As I stand here, we do not know if HTS (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) will succeed in pushing further south towards the city of Hama, which sits approximately 100 kilometres south of Aleppo. What we do know is that these developments mark the biggest shake up of the conflict lines in Syria since 2020.
“In response, Russian airstrikes have increased on Idlib province, HTS’s heartland, and on Aleppo, and there have been reports of Iranian aligned groups moving into Syria to backup the Assad regime.
“Events are moving quickly, and the trajectory is unclear. My primary concern in the immediate term is the impact on civilians and, of course, delivery of humanitarian assistance. This is particularly worrying if we see more large scale attacks by the regime or Russia against civilians.
“I call directly this evening on all actors involved, including Iran and Russia, to act in accordance with international humanitarian law and not to target civilians or civilian infrastructure, including health facilities. Humanitarian actors should be granted full humanitarian access on the ground.”
He added: “The current fighting also underscores that the situation in Syria is not sustainable. Thirteen years into the conflict, no side has or can decisively win on the battlefield, including Assad. A frozen conflict is not the same as peace.
“Syrians continue to flee the country. Drugs and arms smuggling from Syria threaten the region, and Iran and Russia continue to exert influence propping up the Syrian regime. The underlying reasons for this conflict remain unaddressed.
“Recent developments in the north west only underscore the urgent need for Syrian-led political solution to the conflict in Syria, in line with UN Security Council resolution 2254, we urge all parties to re-engage with this process.”
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel argued that “when red lines are crossing this conflict, the UK must be part of a firm response”.
She added: “Instability also fuels extremism, not just abroad, but at home here too. Can he therefore explain his view on the risk of dangerous extremists in Syria and the risk to the security of prisons in the area?
“And can the minister confirm that coordination is taking place across our Government to review the security and defence implications and terrorism risks?”
Mr Falconer replied: “We are very alive to the terrorist threats that could emanate from Syria, not least from Daesh, who may be down, but they are not out, and we continue to monitor those issues very closely.”
