Iran’s foreign ministry stated on Sunday that Syria’s future is the sole responsibility of the Syrian people and should be determined without foreign imposition or intervention.
This statement came after Bashar al-Assad, Tehran’s ally, was toppled by rebels.
Syrian opposition forces had declared that the 24-year rule of President Bashar al-Assad has come to an end, just hours after fighters entered the capital, Damascus, following a rapid advance across the country.
During the Syrian civil war, which began in 2011, Iran invested billions of dollars to support Assad and deployed its Revolutionary Guards to help maintain his regime.
This was part of Tehran’s strategy to uphold its “Axis of Resistance” against Israel and U.S. influence in the Middle East.
In light of Assad’s fall, Iran’s foreign ministry has called for a national dialogue aimed at forming an inclusive government that represents all segments of Syrian society.
“We will spare no effort to help establish security and stability in Syria, and to this end, we will continue consultations with all influential parties, especially in the region,” the foreign ministry stated.
The ministry also expressed its expectation that the relationship between Tehran and Damascus would persist, based on a “far-sighted and wise approach.”
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Iran’s connection to Damascus has allowed it to extend its influence through a land corridor from its western border, via Iraq, to Lebanon, enabling the flow of supplies to Hezbollah.
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remarked that Assad’s ousting was a “historic day” and a direct result of the actions taken by Israel against Iran and Hezbollah, who had been among Assad’s staunchest allies.
On Sunday morning, assailants rummaged through furniture and documents at the Iranian embassy in Damascus, according to footage shared by Saudi Arabia’s al-Arabiya channel.
Esmaeil Baghaei, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, said embassy staff had vacated the building prior to any assault and all diplomats were in good health.
“The Islamic Republic, in contact with the parties responsible for recent developments in Syria, has warned about this issue [the storming of the embassy] and called for the prevention of the recurrence of such attacks,” Baghaei said.
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