Iran�s foreign minister on Monday reiterated his country�s commitment to the regime in Damascus, praising a�defiant speech by President Bashar al-Assad�and calling on all sides to use �the opportunity� to help end the crisis.

Ali-Akbar Salehi told Iranian media that the initiative outlined in a speech by the Syrian leader on Sunday was �a comprehensive plan� which incorporated regional and international proposals, including those of�Iran, for finding a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis.

Mr Salehi urged �all sides� including the Syrian �national opposition� � a coded reference which excludes any Syrian opposition group alleged to have foreign military support � as well as western and regional countries to use �the opportunity � to bring about a Syrian-Syrian solution�.

In his speech Mr Assad called for a �total national mobilisation to save�the country from the clutches of a crisis�which has no precedent in this region� and to defeat �terrorist� rebels.

Iran�s deputy foreign minister for Arab affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said Syrian deputy foreign minister, Faisal Mekdad, �elaborately� focused on the contents of Mr Assad�s address during a visit to Tehran on Saturday. He added that Syrian officials had also consulted Russia and China.

Iran has been Mr Assad�s staunchest regional ally since the uprising began nearly two years ago. The Iranian government views the crisis as a foreign plot � driven by the US, UK, Saudi Arabia and Qatar � to oust Mr Assad and ultimately disconnect Iran from Lebanon�s Hizbollah, its main proxy in the region. In Tehran�s view, this would pave the way for regime change under the pretext of halting Iran�s nuclear programme.

Although Iran denies sending any military or financial support to Syria, Iranian analysts believe the Islamic regime prefers to fight its �enemies� in Syria to prevent them from reaching Iran�s borders.

Tehran has presented a six-point plan for Syria, which calls for an immediate ceasefire and the implementation of political reforms by Mr Assad.

�Iran�s support for Syria has been consistent,� said Davoud Hermidas Bavand, a professor of international relations in Tehran, in the reformist Arman daily on Monday. He added that comments by some commanders of the elite Revolutionary Guards showed that Iran was determined �not to let [Mr] Assad collapse�.

Mr Amir-Abdollahian said on Monday that the Syrian opposition rejected Mr Assad�s proposal because they feared his re-election in in any future polls because of his �popular base�.

He added that establishment of a new government in Syria had to be based on a new constitution, and there should be a referendum to determine whether Mr Assad can run again for president.

�There are two paths ahead of Syria: The first is to continue the current situation and the second is dialogue and a political solution,� he said.

Elsewhere, Iran�s oil revenues have dropped 45 per cent over the past nine months as a result of international sanctions over the nuclear programme, the semi-official Isna news agency quoted the oil minister, Rostam Ghasemi, as saying in a meeting with parliamentarians.

Gholam-Reza Kateb, an MP, told the agency that the minister also said oil sales had dropped by 40 per cent compared with the corresponding period last year and predicted a �considerable drop� in the next three months.

By Financial Times

 

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