Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is meeting on Monday evening in Ankara with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss solutions to the crisis in Syria, focusing on the Idlib region, the last stronghold of anti-government rebels.
Prior to the start of the meeting, Rouhani attacked Israel, saying that "recently the Zionist enemy has doubled its attacks in Syria, and has even extended them to Lebanon and Iraq. The nations of the region have the right to defend themselves against these attacks, so it (Israel) must bear responsibility." He also attacked the United States presence in Syria, claimed it was illegal and urged the US to leave the country.