Iran’s foreign ministry warned on Friday that violence in Syria could cause regional instability, state media reported, amid reports of fighting in western Syria.
It was the first comment by Iran, which had long backed Syria’s ousted leader Bashar al-Assad, during the fighting between the government in Damascus and fighters believed to be from Assad’s Alawite sect in western Syria.
“Recalling the interim government’s responsibility in ensuring the security of all Syrian citizens, Iran strongly opposes insecurity, violence, killing and harming innocent Syrians from every group and tribe, and sees it as a catalyst for regional instability,” foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei was quoted as saying.