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Iran’s top diplomat warns of civil war in Syria

The warning followed an announcement by the Israeli military that they had seized the buffer zone on the border with Syria on December 8

DUBAI, December 9. /TASS/. Syria may face a civil war and disintegration now that armed opposition forces have taken control of Damascus, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned.

"We are monitoring the developments in Syria and we would like to prevent a rise in concerns over the possibility of a civil or interconfessional war breaking out, with Syria facing the risks of a partial or complete collapse or becoming a haven for terrorists," Iran’s top diplomat said in a statement aired on the Iranian state broadcaster.

"The Islamic Republic is also particularly concerned about abuses by the Zionist regime (Israel - TASS) which has taken several steps since yesterday evening," Araghchi added.

The warning followed an announcement by the Israeli military that they had seized the buffer zone on the border with Syria on December 8. What Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a defensive step came amid the latest developments in the Arab republic.

Syria’s armed opposition forces launched a large-scale offensive on government troops in the Aleppo and Idlib governorates on November 27. By the evening of December 7, Syrian President Bashar Assad’s opponents seized several large cities, including Aleppo, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, Daraa, and Homs. On Sunday morning, they entered Damascus as government troops withdrew from the city. Following intra-Syrian talks, President Assad stepped down and fled the country.

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