Tehran, September 7 (RHC)--   The presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey are meeting Friday in Tehran to discuss the war in Syria, with all eyes on a possible military offensive to retake the last rebel-held bastion of Idlib.

The summit between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will discuss how to move forward in Syria.

The three leaders are engaged in the so-called Astana process, which aims to de-escalate violence in Syria to facilitate a political transition and a sustainable end to the seven-year-old war in the country. It is the third meeting of its kind and is expected to be dominated by discussion relating to Syria’s Idlib governorate.

Located in western Syria, Idlib is the last major stronghold of anti-government armed groups, many of which are hardcore jihadists. The total number of extremist forces in the area is estimated at between 10,000 and 60,000, among a population of some 3.5 million people.