TUNIS, December 14. /TASS/. Syria's new authorities are in contact with Western embassies, Ahmed al-Sharaa, known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the militant leader of the main group driving the Syrian armed opposition, has said.
"We are in touch with Western embassies and are holding talks with the UK to reopen its mission in Damascus," Syria’s Al Watan quoted him as saying.
That said, he noted that Syria "has no enmity toward Iranians."
The UK shut down its embassy in Syria in 2012 for security reasons.
In late November, armed opposition units launched a large-scale offensive on positions held by Syrian government forces in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces, capturing several major cities: Aleppo, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, Deraa, and Homs. On December 8, they entered Damascus, prompting government troops to withdraw from the capital. Bashar Assad stepped down as Syrian president and left the country, issuing instructions to ensure a peaceful transition of power. On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir, who had led the so-called Syrian Salvation Government in the Idlib Province since January 2024, announced his appointment as head of Syria’s interim government. The interim period is expected to last until March 1, 2025.