Only Syrian nation should decide their country’s fate, says top Iranian lawmaker

The deputy chairman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee says the Syrian people alone have the right to decide the future of their country, after militants seized the capital Damascus and declared the end of President Bashar al-Assad's 24-year rule.

Abbas Moqtadaei made the remarks at the 17th plenary session of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Parliamentary Assembly in the Russian capital Moscow on Monday.

He underlined that the United States and the Israeli regime must not interfere in Syria’s domestic affairs, warning that any foreign intervention in the Arab nation’s internal issues will create further instability and insecurity and prolong conflict there.

Armed groups, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militants, announced on Sunday that they had fully captured Damascus, and confirmed reports of the fall of Assad’s government.

HTS leader Ahmed al-Shar’a, better known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, has called on the Syrian people not to get close to government institutes and organizations until an official transfer of power takes place under the supervision of the prime minister.

Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali said the government was ready to “extend its hand” to the opposition and hand over its functions to a transitional government.

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Elsewhere in his remarks on Monday, Moqtadaei criticized the US and its European allies, including Britain, France and Germany, saying they are complicit in the Zionist regime’s terrorism and massacre of civilians in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, as well as instability in West Asia.

“The need for self-belief, unity and fight against violence and state terrorism is felt more than ever. Progress and global security could be achieved through increased cooperation as well as regional cooperation and synergy,” the senior Iranian lawmaker pointed out.

He went on to say that the Islamic Republic of Iran, as a powerful country in the region, has always declared its opposition to foreign interference, particularly that of the United States.

Moqtadaei described the US as the root cause of instability, monopoly, unilateralism, tensions, wars and insecurity across the globe, especially in West Asia, stressing the need for unity among nations and governments against the plots of the United States and its allies.

He voiced Iran’s full readiness for cooperation aimed at ensuring collective security, promoting peace, achieving stability, and eliminating insecurity in the region and world.

“I believe our collective efforts can provide greater security and a safer world,” the top Iranian legislator said.

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