Asaad al-Shibani, Foreign Minister of the Syrian Interim Government, warned Iran against “sowing chaos” in Syria and called on it to respect the will of the Syrian people.
In a post on the platform “X” on Tuesday, Shibani stated, “Iran must respect the will of the Syrian people, the sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the country,” as reported by SANA.
He added, “We warn Tehran against spreading chaos in Syria and hold it accountable for the consequences of its recent statements.”
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Shibani’s remarks came in response to comments made by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Tuesday, in which he said, “Those who think they have achieved victory in Syria should be patient; many developments lie ahead.”
Prior to this, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had posted several statements on “X” days earlier, saying, “Syrian youth have nothing to lose. Their university, school, home, and life are all unsafe. Therefore, they must stand with strong will against those who planned and executed this state of insecurity, and they will overcome them, God willing.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei stated during a press conference on Monday that “there has been no direct contact between Tehran and the new Syrian administration led by Ahmad al-Sharaa.”
He added, “Each party connected to developments in the region and Syria has its own narrative of events, but it is not necessary for us to accept all of these narratives.” Baghaei also noted that “there are no longer any Iranian citizens in Syria following the recent developments, and Tehran advises its citizens not to travel there.”
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said during a press conference on Tuesday that “Iran is engaged in diplomatic dialogue with the new Syrian authorities to reopen its embassy in Damascus.”
However, a source close to the Military Operations Administration in Syria denied “any discussions about reopening the Syrian and Iranian embassies in Damascus and Tehran,” according to the Lebanese outlet Al-Modon.
The source also mentioned that “the new administration is working on preparing a memorandum to be submitted to international courts, demanding that Iran pay $300 billion in reparations to the Syrian people and state for the damage its policies caused to Syrians and the country’s infrastructure.”
It is noteworthy that Iran was one of the main supporters of the former Syrian regime, deploying thousands of members of the Revolutionary Guard and allied factions in Syria since 2012. These forces fought alongside the former regime before withdrawing after its fall and the Military Operations Administration’s takeover of Damascus.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.