Iran: Talks with the New Government to Reopen Its Embassy in Damascus

Iran: Talks with the New Government to Reopen Its Embassy in Damascus
December 24, 2024, 11:40 am

السفارة الإيرانية

In a notable shift from previous statements made by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the Iranian government has confirmed that diplomatic discussions are ongoing to reopen embassies in Damascus and Tehran.

The government spokesperson stated today, Tuesday, that "negotiations are moving towards reopening the embassies in both countries, and both parties are ready for this." Iran emphasized that what matters to it in Syria is the formation of a government chosen by the people and the preservation of Syrian territorial integrity.

In a related context, Hossein Pourfarzaneh, head of the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization, announced that Syrian authorities have suspended Iranian flights until January 22, with some flights continuing under special permits, according to the ILNA news agency.

This comes after Iran confirmed on Monday that there has been no "direct contact" with the new leadership in Syria following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baqaei stated during the weekly press conference that "there is no direct contact with the ruling authority in Damascus."

With the fall of Assad, Iran lost one of its main allies, as well as a vital corridor for transferring weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon, which is one of its strongest arms in the region.

In this context, armed factions launched a large-scale offensive against government forces in Aleppo and Idlib provinces starting November 27, and by the evening of December 7, they managed to control Aleppo, Hama, Daraa, and Homs before entering Damascus on the morning of December 8, leading to the withdrawal of Syrian army units from the capital.

The then Syrian Prime Minister, Muhammad Ghazi Jalali, announced his readiness to transfer power peacefully. Subsequently, Muhammad al-Bashir, who had been leading the Syrian Rescue Government in Idlib since January 2024, announced his appointment as head of the transitional Syrian government until March 1, 2025.

The Iranian embassy building witnessed some acts of vandalism and breaking, but the situation later stabilized.

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