Despite publicly expressing support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Russia has recently begun to signal that it would not oppose Assad leaving office if it were part of a peace process in Syria, Reuters reported, citing several diplomats.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met in Tehran last month. Photo: Reuters

Meanwhile, Iran has declared a "unified position" with Russia on the Syrian issue. This is seen as a sign that its firm opposition to President Assad's departure is gradually becoming less aggressive than before.

According to an Iranian official familiar with the matter, Tehran's decision to step up coordination with Moscow was made last month following a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Like Russia, Iran has also publicly expressed its position that whether Assad stays or leaves should only be decided through a formal election.

"What we agree on is that Iran and Russia will pursue the same policy that benefits Tehran, Moscow, and Damascus," a senior Iranian official said. "The Syrians themselves must decide their own fate. But first, stability needs to be restored."

"If the Syrian people want Assad to leave, then he must leave," he emphasized. "If he cannot serve his country and his people, then a more capable successor should do so."

Another Iranian official also asserted that Tehran and Moscow are "speaking from the same perspective" on the Syrian issue and the fate of Assad. "The meeting between Putin and Supreme Leader Khamenei was very successful. Now, Iran and Russia share the same views on Assad," he said.

Whether President Assad stays or leaves is currently the biggest point of contention among the major powers when discussing the political process leading to peace in Syria.

US and European officials argue that Assad has lost credibility due to his repressive actions and abuse of power, and is therefore ineligible to participate in any elections. Meanwhile, leaders of other Western nations, Türkiye, and Arab Sabdi are reluctant to accept Assad's transitional rule.

At a meeting on December 18th to discuss a peace roadmap for Syria, attended by 17 countries including the US, Russia, Iran, Türkiye, and Saudi Arabia, US Secretary of State John Kerry said that "deep differences" still remain regarding the fate of Assad.

The focus of the discussions was on how to reach a ceasefire agreement and plan dialogues between the Syrian opposition and the government to unite forces and support each other in the fight against the Islamic State (IS).

Following his meeting with Russian President Putin, Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei publicly criticized the United States, condemning Washington's policies in the Middle East as nothing short of a threat to both Moscow and Tehran. He also called on Russia and Iran to work towards strengthening their bilateral relationship.

Russia and Iran are militarily intervening in Syria to support President Assad's government against anti-government forces in a five-year civil war that has claimed the lives of 250,000 people in the Middle Eastern country. The two former Cold War rivals now both have an interest in forging a new relationship based on distrust of the West and a desire to compete with the US for influence in the Middle East.

During the first two ministerial meetings on the Syrian conflict held in Vienna, Austria, Iran reluctantly signed a roadmap based on the so-called Geneva Communiqué issued in June 2012.

The Geneva communiqué called for a political transition in Syria. Tehran never officially approved this, as it would mean the end of the Assad regime, according to Reuters.

Western diplomats believe Iran will have to move closer to Russia and completely abandon President Assad if that is to be an effective diplomatic solution to end the war in Syria.

The US, Europe, and the Gulf Arab states firmly believe that Assad must step down and should not participate in any future elections.

According to a Western official, the key for Russia and Iran right now is to find exactly how to get rid of the Assad regime. Even as Iranians begin to accept the possibility of President Assad stepping down, this goal remains very difficult to achieve.

According to VNE