In a meeting with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari in Tehran on Monday, the visiting Russian diplomat took a swipe at the West for its paradoxical stances on Syria, blaming the economic woes and harsh living conditions in Syria on the Western sanctions and an ongoing crisis, now in its sixth year.

As regards the developments in Syria’s northern city of Aleppo and Russia’s military help for the Syrian government in the fight against terrorism, Bogdanov underlined that “all terrorist elements must be evicted from Aleppo.”

For his part, the Iranian deputy foreign minister called for efforts to formulate a comprehensive plan to resolve regional conflicts, particularly in Syria, through closer consultations and cooperation.

Iran and Russia have formed a strong alliance in recent years, with both supporting the Syrian government against foreign-backed militancy.

Tehran and Moscow insist that the Syrian nation is the only side that has the right to shape the future of the Arab country, which has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with various terrorist groups, including Daesh (ISIL), currently controlling parts of it.