Iran warns against arms shipment to terrorists in Syria

Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has warned against the provision of weapons and money for the insurgents fighting the government of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the unwise measures and policies of certain sides within the framework of sending weapons and money to the [armed] groups and dispatching armed individuals to Syria will only complicate the situation further and intensify the violence in the country,” Salehi said in an address to the opening ceremony of a Sunday meeting on national dialogue in Syria.

The shipment of arms to the insurgents in Syria runs counter to international regulations and is a blatant interference in the domestic affairs of an independent country, he added.

This issue can create a dangerous trend in international relations, cause instability and spread terrorism and organized violence across the region, he pointed out.

We believe that not only will not a military solution and violence resolve the Syrian crisis but they will spill terrorism, crisis and instability over to other countries in the region, which will not benefit any state, Salehi said.

The Iranian minister emphasized that the ongoing unrest in Syria has been imposed on the Syrian people by certain hegemonic powers who always “prefer their interests to the lives and properties of humans.”

Iran has always attached importance to peace and stability in the strategic Middle East region, he said, adding that the Islamic Republic emphasizes the immediate resumption of national dialogue with the participation of representatives from religious groups, political and social parties, minorities and opposition groups.

The Iranian minister stressed the importance of declaring a ceasefire in Syria to complete the reforms in the country, saying reforms should include various political, economic and social aspects and only be implemented by the Syrian people without any foreign pressure and interference.

Syria has been experiencing a deadly unrest since March 2011 and many people, including large numbers of army and security personnel, have been killed in the turmoil.

Iran has repeatedly voiced its opposition to any foreign interference in Syria’s internal affairs, calling for inclusive dialog and national reconciliation as well as free elections as the key to the settlement of the crisis in the country.