DUBAI, December 8. /TASS/. Iran will do everything it can to stabilize the situation in Syria, the Iranian foreign ministry said after Damascus was seized by opposition armed units.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran stressed Syria’s status as an important country in West Asia and will spare no effort to promote security and stability in Syria. With this in mind, it will continue consultations with all parties concerned, especially in the region," it said.
"Relations between Iran and Syria have a long history and have always been friendly," the ministry stressed, adding that Tehran "expects that these relations will continue developing on the basis of the two countries’ wise and far-sighted approach, which rests on shared interests and the observance of international commitments."
Syria’s armed opposition units launched a large-scale offensive on government troops in the Aleppo and Idlib governorates on November 27. By December 7, Syrian President Bashar Assad’s opponents had seized several large cities, including Aleppo, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, Daraa, and Homs. On Sunday morning, they entered Damascus and government troops withdrew from the city. Following intra-Syrian talks, President Assad stepped down and fled the country.