Tasnim - A top military aide to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei described Iran as the region�s number one power, attributing the full liberation of Syria�s Aleppo this week to efforts by a coalition comprising Iran, Russia, Syria and Lebanon�s Hezbollah.

�Americans have realized that the Islamic Republic of Iran is the top player in Southwest Asia, and its geopolitical weight has the greatest influence in the region,� Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi said in Tehran on Wednesday, addressing a conference on C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence) in management and decision making.

He also said that the coalition made up of Iran- the leading regional power, Russia, Syria and the Lebanese Hezbollah contributed to the liberation of Syria�s northwestern city of Aleppo from terrorist groups, predicting that the Iraqi city of Mosul will be also retaken soon.

Requests from the governments of Syria and Iraq for Iran�s assistance in the fight against terrorism, Tehran�s positive response, and the victories gained by the coalition have all increased the Islamic Republic�s political weight, Rahim Safavi added, reminding US President-elect Donald Trump that Iran is the region�s number one power.

In October, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also referred to Iran as the leading power in the region, highlighting the country�s �undeniable� international clout.

�International circumstances have put Iran in such a premium position that� it has had undeniable influence on recent developments in the region and the world as the region�s top power,� Zarif said in an address to a conference of Iranian military attach�s and representatives in foreign countries.