Iran says it lacks direct contact with new Syrian government

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei has announced the lack of direct contact with the new Syrian government since the Assad regime’s fall.

According to Baghaei, before the Assad regime’s fall, Iran was in contact with some opposition groups in Syria, but there is currently no direct communication with them, Caliber.Az reports, citing Iranian media.

He noted that Iran has taken part in the fight against terrorism in Syria in the past, adding that contacts were previously maintained with several Syrian opposition groups to resolve the crisis.

“Iran is closely following the issue of the death of an Iranian embassy employee in Damascus... It is not clear to us which terrorist group killed him. It happened on the same day that Damascus fell... We advise our citizens not to travel to Syria because of the ambiguous and unstable conditions,” he added.

Notably, Iran and Syria have maintained a strategic alliance for decades, with Iran providing substantial political, military, and economic support to the Assad regime, particularly during the Syrian civil war that began in 2011. This partnership was a cornerstone of Iran's "Axis of Resistance," a coalition opposing Western and Israeli influence in the Middle East.

In December 2024, the Assad regime collapsed following a successful insurgent offensive. This event significantly impacted Iran's regional strategy, as Syria had been a crucial conduit for Iranian influence and a key ally in the Levant. The fall of Assad disrupted Iran's overland arms supply routes to Hezbollah in Lebanon, leading Tehran to consider alternative methods, such as airborne supply routes, to maintain its support for proxy forces in the region.

By Khagan Isayev