Iran opposed to any foreign intervention in Syria: Salehi

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has reaffirmed Tehran’s opposition to any foreign intervention in Syria, calling for a negotiated solution to the crisis in the Arab country.

“We reject any foreign intervention in Syria and we don’t want Syria to plunge into crisis…,” Salehi said in a joint press conference with his Jordanian counterpart, Nasser Judeh, in Amman on Tuesday.

“The Syria crisis and its consequences for the region are very heavy, and must be peacefully settled within the framework of a Syrian-Syrian solution. [If] any political vacuum occurs in this country, its consequences would affect all [regional] countries,” he warned.

Salehi reiterated Iran’s support for Syria’s territorial integrity and the legitimate demands of the Syrian people, noting that the Islamic Republic has undertaken efforts to bring Syrian officials and the opposition to the negotiation table in view of a peaceful solution.

“We have called on the [Syrian] opposition to negotiate with the government and form a transitional government and determine their own future,” he said.

The Iranian minister, however, made it clear that those terrorist groups which have the blood of innocent Syrians on their hands — including the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front — will not be part of the solution.

For his part, the Jordanian minister said his country favors a political solution that will involve all elements of the Syrian society and guarantee the national sovereignty and integrity of the Arab country.

The Syria crisis began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.