Iran FM warns against 'destructive interference' in Syria's future

Iran FM warns against 'destructive interference' in Syria's future
by AFP Staff Writers
Beijing (AFP) Dec 27, 2024

Iran's top diplomat warned Friday against "destructive interference" in Syria's future and said decisions should lie solely with the country's people, writing in Chinese state media as he visited Beijing.

Abbas Araghchi touched down in the Chinese capital on Friday afternoon, Iranian state media reported, to begin his first official visit to the country since being appointed foreign minister.

China and Iran were both supporters of ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

Assad fled Syria this month after an Islamist-led offensive wrested city after city from his control, with the capital Damascus falling on December 8.

Iran "considers the decision-making about the future of Syria to be the sole responsibility of the people... without destructive interference or foreign imposition," Araghchi wrote in a Chinese-language article in People's Daily published on Friday.

He also emphasized Iran's respect for Syria's "unity, national sovereignty and territorial integrity".

Iran's supreme leader -- a key backer of Assad's administration -- predicted on Sunday "the emergence of a strong, honourable group" that would stand against "insecurity" in Syria.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Syria's young men would "stand with strength and determination against those who have designed this insecurity and those who have implemented it, and God willing, he will overcome them".

In People's Daily, Araghchi said supporting the Syrian people was a "definite principle (that) should be taken into consideration by all the actors".

- 'Suitable time' -

Beijing had also built strong ties with Assad -- he met President Xi Jinping in China last year, where the two leaders announced a "strategic partnership".

China has affirmed its support for the Syrian people and has said it opposes terrorist forces taking advantage of the situation to create chaos.

Araghchi's two-day visit will include talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, according to Iran's foreign ministry.

China is Iran's largest trade partner, and a top buyer of its sanctioned oil.

Xi pledged in October to increase ties with Iran during talks with his counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian in Russia on the sidelines of a BRICS summit.

Araghchi told reporters in a video published by Iranian state media as he arrived in Beijing that the visit was taking place "at a very suitable time".

"Now it is natural that there are sensitive situations, both the region has various tensions, and there are various issues at the international level, also our nuclear issue in the new year will face a situation that needs more consultations," he said.

"The invitation of our Chinese friends was for this reason, that at the beginning of the new year... we should think together, consult and be ready for the challenges that will come."

He wrote in his editorial that Iran and China shared the "common view" that calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza was the biggest priority in the Middle East.