Tasnim� A special aide to Iran�s parliament speaker reiterated the Islamic Republic�s position that the ongoing crisis in Syria can only be resolved by concentrating on political solutions.

�Focusing on a political solution is the only way out of the crisis in Syria,� Hossein Amir Abdollahian said in a Wednesday meeting with the ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Iran.

He added that the military and financial support provided to terrorist groups in Syria by certain regional players has only led to the deterioration of the situation in the Arab country and the region.

Elsewhere, Amir Abdollahian stressed Iran�s principled policy of helping to ensure security and stability in the region, adding that continued consultations among regional countries, including Iran and Azerbaijan, can contribute to peace and security.

Syria has been gripped by civil war and foreign-backed militancy since March 2011 with various terrorist groups, including Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL), currently controlling parts of it.

According to a report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country�s pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.