DUBAI, December 9. /TASS/. Tehran has opened a direct line of communication with the leaders of Syria’s armed opposition that has seized power in Damascus, Reuters reports, citing a senior Iranian official.
According to him, the move was aimed at preventing "a hostile trajectory" between the countries.
The official added that Iran was open to engaging with Syria's new leaders. "This engagement is key to stabilizing ties and avoiding further regional tensions," he pointed out.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier said the key conditions for Tehran’s cooperation with the Syrian armed opposition included abandoning support for terrorism, ensuring respect for the rights of Syria’s Shia population and the opposition distancing itself from Israel.
On December 8, Syria’s National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces announced the start of efforts to form a transition government and reaffirmed its commitment to establish strategic partnership with all countries in order to build "a new Syria."
On November 27, Syria’s armed opposition units launched a large-scale offensive on the positions of government forces in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib. By the evening of December 7, President Bashar Assad’s opponents had seized several large cities, including Aleppo, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, Daraa, and Homs. On December 8, they entered the Syrian capital, Damascus, while the army withdrew from the city. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement, Syrian President Bashar Assad stepped down and left the country, handing down instructions to ensure a peaceful transition of power.