The spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry says the reopening of the country’s embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus is “high on the agenda,” adding that the diplomatic mission will resume its activities once the “necessary conditions” are met.
“The reopening of the embassy in Damascus requires preparations, the most important of which is ensuring the security and safety of the embassy and its staff,” Esmaeil Baqaei said at a weekly press briefing in the capital Tehran on Monday.
He did not provide a specific timeline, but added that Iran will work toward the objective “as soon as the necessary conditions are provided.”
Militants, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), stormed and ransacked the Iranian embassy in Damascus following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s government on December 8.
Baqaei said that the deployment of Iranian military advisers to Syria was fundamental and anchored in certain principles, while their departure was also a responsible move.
“We were neither seeking to conquer Syria nor to revive past empires. What was important in Syria was to help ensure public safety and security against terrorism.
“We were there for such a purpose and at the invitation of the [former] Syrian government. We were not in Syria to support a specific individual or group. It was important for us to help safeguard the territorial integrity of Syria until the last moment. We believe that prevalence of security in regional countries will guarantee security in West Asia,” the Iranian diplomat stated.
He went on to denounce recent Israeli acts of aggression against Syria, stating that the Arab nation’s territorial integrity has been undermined and portions of its territory have been occupied in blatant violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
US, Germany supply 99% of weapons used by Israel
Turing to the ongoing genocidal war on Gaza, Baqaei noted that the United States and Germany are supplying 99% of the weapons exported to the Israeli-occupied territories, criticizing the two Western countries as complicit in Israel’s atrocities in the besieged coastal sliver.
The Iranian diplomat also called for urgent action on the part of the global community in order to halt the genocide in Gaza, and to prosecute and punish the leaders of the occupying Israeli regime for committing heinous crimes.
He noted that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued prosecution and arrest orders for senior Israeli officials on charges of perpetrating war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The senior Iranian official stressed that the member states of the Hague-based court are obligated to implement the arrest warrants, ensure compliance with international humanitarian law and prohibit genocide.
He stated that the Zionist regime, in addition to committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, has undoubtedly committed two other crimes under the jurisdiction of the court, namely genocide and aggression.
Europe must reconsider its behavior
Baqaei also condemned the latest remarks by the European Union foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, that Russia and Iran should not have a place in Syria’s future, calling on European officials to rectify their policies and standpoints.
“It is an interesting irony… The era is over when a foreign power could decide the fate of the region. Europe must reconsider its behavior, and think about its role in the creation of problems in the region, particularly in Syria.
“A large number of terrorists flew from Western countries to Syria, and posed a threat to national security and stability there. They must revise their own actions instead of deciding the fate of others,” the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry pointed out.
Some European states have rectified stance on Persian Gulf trio islands
Baqaei also appreciated the German government’s change of stance on the three Persian Gulf Iranian islands of Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb, and the Lesser Tunb, stating that some European countries have corrected their positions on the matter and sent out written notes.
Iran-China ties
As to Iran-China relationship, he emphasized that such ties are thriving and there exists very good cooperation between the two countries in various political, commercial, and cultural domains.
The 25-year comprehensive strategic partnership agreement signed with China in March 2021 also points to the depth of relations and extensive cooperation between Tehran and Beijing, Baqaei said.
Iranian president to visit Egypt for D-8 summit
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson also stated that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will take part in the forthcoming summit of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation in Egypt.
“We have the important summit... known as D-8 in Egypt; the foreign minister will take part in the ministerial conference and then the summit will be held with the participation of the president,” Baqaei said in the weekly televised news conference.
Iranian delegates will discuss regional and bilateral issues with the participating countries on the sidelines of the summit, he added.
The D-8 was established in 1997 to improve cooperation among big Muslim countries stretching from Southeast Asia to Africa. Its member states include Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.
Pezeshkian’s visit to Egypt will mark the first by an Iranian president to the North African country in more than a decade.
Egypt severed its diplomatic relations with Iran in 1980 after it welcomed the deposed Pahlavi ruler of Iran and also recognized the apartheid Israeli regime.
Back in October, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Cairo amid Israel's year-long intensified attacks on Gaza to exchange viewpoints on the latest developments in West Asia and issues of mutual concern and interest.