Iran’s FM Deplores Biased Media Reports on Syria

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi strongly criticized the biased and fabricated reports released by the western media on the current developments in Syria, and asked all the relevant parties to make honest and unbiased efforts to end the present crisis in the Muslim country.

Speaking at a meeting with UN-Arab League Special Envoy on Syria Kofi Annan here in Tehran on Tuesday, Salehi said that one-sided and biased reports by certain media are aimed at diverting the public opinion from the realities on the ground to poison the atmosphere and direct the public opinion towards their desired goals.

Salehi pointed to his recent meetings and consultations with other western and regional leaders, and noted, “Everyone should strive to use the best possible method to find the ways out of this problem.”

He further renewed Iran’s support for Annan’s six-point peace plan, and underlined that success of the peace initiative requires realism, impartiality, seriousness and patience.

Annan arrived in Tehran on Monday night to meet with top Iranian officials over the crisis in Syria. The visit which signals Iran’s key role in resolving the Syrian crisis comes on the heels of talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad.

The former UN chief tried to rescue his peace plan for Syria by seeking help Monday from Iran.

In a joint press conference with Salehi today, Annan reiterated Iran’s key and irreplaceable role in finding a solution to the crisis in Syria, and noted that he has come to Iran to seek Tehran’s help and cooperation for the settlement of the Syrian issue.

He, meantime, warned that the crisis in Syria can spill over into the entire region and can entail undesirable consequences if no real and actual effort is made to resolve the crisis.

Annan further renewed his repeated calls for all-out cooperation to end the crisis and establish peace and stability in Syria.