Senior Diplomat Reiterates Iran’s Opposition to Foreign Meddling in Syria

A senior Iranian diplomat slammed the world powers for their growing interferences in Syria, underlining that the Syrian people are the only ones who have the right to determine their fate.

“Tehran has a fixed position on the ongoing events in Syria and we reject any foreign meddling in the country’s internal affairs,” Iranian Ambassador to Beirut Qazanfar Roknabadi said in a meeting with a delegation of Lebanese figures and members of parties on Wednesday.

The Iranian envoy stressed the importance of pursuing a political approach to the unrests in Syria, urging various political groups and movements in the crisis-stricken country to hold constructive talks and make efforts to restore stability and improve political understanding.

He said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is targeted by foreign attacks due to his support for the resistance and confrontation with the Israeli regime.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country.

The US and its western and regional allies have long sought to topple Assad and his ruling system. Media reports said that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups have received significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, a crime paid for by the Persian Gulf Arab states and coordinated by the United States.

The US daily, Washington Post, reported in May that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups battling the President Bashar al-Assad’s government have received significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, a crime paid for by the Persian Gulf Arab states and coordinated by the United States.

The newspaper, quoting opposition activists and US and foreign officials, reported that Obama administration officials emphasized the administration has expanded contacts with opposition military forces to provide the Persian Gulf nations with assessments of rebel credibility and command-and-control infrastructure.

Opposition activists who several months ago said the rebels were running out of ammunition said in May that the flow of weapons – most bought on the black market in neighboring countries or from elements of the Syrian military in the past – has significantly increased after a decision by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Persian Gulf states to provide millions of dollars in funding each month.