Iran Live Blog

2 days 22 hours ago - Iran

Answering a question whether he supported calls by some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, to arm the Syrian opposition, Kofi Annan said "any further militarisation will be disastrous".

 

Tags Ali Akbar Salehi, image, Kofi Annan, syria
2 days 23 hours ago - Iran

Kofi Annan says he's grateful for the "support" from Iran for his peace plan and that Iran can be part of the solution.

He says countries in the region must make efforts to resolve the crisis, which could have dire consequences for the whole region.

"Any miscalculation can have unimaginable consequences, so we should work together to reach a solution."

Tags Kofi Annan, syria
2 days 23 hours ago - Iran

Iranian FM Ali Akbar Salehi says Iran believes the people of Syria have the right to enjoy all the rights enjoyed by other world nations, such as freedom of political parties, elections, and a constitution that encompasses all the wishes of a nation.

But he said Iran opposes inference of other countries in Syria's internal affairs - "change must be done by the Syrian government and the government has in fact promised changes to meet the demands of the people", such as reviewing the constitution, as well as to hold free elections.

"In fact, the opportunity must be given to the government so that change is achieved in a natural manner ... under the leadership of Bashar al-Assad".

Tags syria
2 days 23 hours ago - Iran

Kofi Annan is holding a press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi. Salehi said Annan "seeks to adopt a fair and just approach" and that there's a need for good will from all the parties to implement the six-point peace plan.

Tags syria
3 days 43 min ago - Iran

Iran's FARS news agency reports that Iran has contacted the Syrian opposition.

"Iran has recently made contacts with the Syrian opposition, which shows Iran's influential role in resolving issues facing Syria," Hossein Sheikholeslam, the Iranian parliament speaker's advisor on international issues, was quoted as saying.

"Iran has influence on [Syrian] national forces and the Syrian government and can persuade certain regional countries to accept its views." 

 

Tags FARS, Hossein Sheikholeslam, syria
3 days 12 hours ago - Iran

UN and Arab League special envoy on Syria Kofi Annan arrived in Iran on Tuesday for talks centring on the Islamic  republic's key regional ally, the official IRNA news agency reported.


He flew in from Turkey after visiting Syrian refugees in camps along the border with its violence-swept southern neighbour where the United Nations says more than 9,000 people have been killed in a year-long crackdown on dissent.

Tags Kofi Annan
1 week 1 day ago - Syria

Kofi Annan, the UN-Arab League envoy to Syria, will head to Tehran on April 11, a day after Syria is expected to have withdrawn troops from all populated areas, his spokesman said Thursday.

"Mr Annan will be visiting Tehran on the 11th," he said. Iran is an ally of Syria, and its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has pledged to defend the government of Bashar al-Assad. [AFP]

Tags iran, Kofi Annan, Tehran
2 weeks 1 day ago - Iran

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said Iran strongly opposes any foreign intervention in Syria's conflict and will defend Damascus so it can continue "resistance" against Israel, his official website reported on Thursday.

Khamenei, the Islamic Republic's highest authority, made the comments during a meeting with visiting Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan in Mashhad.

The Islamic Republic supported popular uprisings in Egypt, Libya and Yemen last year but has steadfastly supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against a year-old uprising.

Assad is a rare ally for Iran in an Arab world largely suspicious of Iranian ambitions for greater regional clout.

In contrast, Erdogan has urged Assad to step down and has allowed opposition groups to meet in Istanbul.

"Iran will defend Syria because it supports its policy of resistance against the Zionist regime (Israel), and is strongly opposed to any interference by foreign forces in Syria's internal affairs," Khamenei was quoted as saying.

He voiced support for reforms announced by Assad and opposed "any plan created by Americans for the Syrian issue".

"America accepts no nation as an independent one ... and this should be taken into consideration in the decision-making of Islamic countries." 

[Reuters]

Tags Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mashhad, syria, Tayyip Erdogan
2 weeks 2 days ago - Syria

Iran has backed a UN-sponsored peace plan for Syria that calls for the withdrawal of troops that are crushing an uprising but does not demand the removal of Tehran ally President Bashar al-Assad, its foreign minister said on Wednesday.

Iran backed popular uprisings that removed leaders in Egypt, Libya and Yemen but has steadfastly supported Syria, a rare ally in the Arab world which is largely suspicious of Tehran's ambitions for greater regional influence.

"Syria issue should be dealt with patiently," the official news agency IRNA quoted Ali Akbar Salehi as saying.

He warned that "any hasty approach to the Syrian issue and the creation of a power vacuum in that in that country could have very damaging consequences for the region”. 

He added that Annan would travel to Iran on Monday or Tuesday next week. 

Salehi was talking on the sidelines of a meeting with visiting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan who has called for Assad to step down.

Tags Bashar al Assad, iran, Kofi Annan, UN peace plan
2 weeks 2 days ago - Iran

Kofi Annan will visit Tehran next week, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said on Wednesday.

"Kofi Annan is probably coming to Tehran on Monday," Salehi told reporters on the sideline of a visit by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The foreign minister also said "there are some differences between Iran and Turkey vis a vis the issue of Syria."

"But we are nearing to closing the gap of differences with the mission of Mr Kofi Annan and with the support of Turkey, Arab nations and the UN we hope there will be a way out for the Syrian issue." 

Tags Kofi Annan, syria
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