The chief negotiator of the High Negotiation Committee (HNC) Asaad Al-Zoubi in Geneva warned that the Russian – Iranian alliance coordinated with the Syrian regime to amend plans for an attack to include the intensification of missile strikes on the outskirts of Aleppo, Idlib and Ghouta rather than entering their centres, in preparation of their occupation at a later date.

Al-Zoubi told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Russian-Iranian alliance and the Syrian regime failed to achieve victory by intensifying strikes on the centre of Aleppo and Ghouta and this caused the amendment of the Russian- Iranian plan, in association with the Syrian regime, to seize Aleppo and Ghouta. The new plan includes a large number of intensive simultaneous offensives by the Russians and the Syrian regime on the outskirts of Aleppo, the airport there and the outskirts of Ghouta because of their inability to gain victory by striking the centres of these cities.

Al-Zoubi believes that the Russian- Iranian attack is entering the attrition of the revolutionary forces stage in order to deal a major blow which would coincide with a meeting scheduled to be convened by the Friends of the Syrian people tomorrow. There will be a major blow to coincide with the announcement of new negotiations due to the fact that despite the alleged truce set up by Russia, tens and hundreds of strikes on the residents of Aleppo and Idlib have taken place today and in the past.