Iran Calls on Muslim Nations for Assistance Amidst Rebel Offensive in Syria

Tehran, Dec 1 (Xinhua) Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday called upon Muslim nations to assist in addressing the crisis in Syria, pointing to the significant offensive initiated by Syria's armed rebel factions since Wednesday.

Pezeshkian shared these thoughts during a gathering with members of the Iranian administration and parliament in the capital Tehran, as reported by a statement on his office's website, according to Xinhua.

The president emphasized the need for support from Muslim nations to resolve Syria's ongoing crisis, stating that regional security can be achieved through the collaborative efforts of states in the area, thus negating the necessity for foreign intervention.

By Friday, the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an extremist group linked to al-Qaida, along with allied opposition factions, had made significant advances into parts of northwestern Syria's Aleppo, marking their first entry into the city since being expelled in 2016. The rebels continued their progress on Saturday in Hama province, seizing control of numerous towns and villages in the northern region, following their capture of vital territories in Aleppo and Idlib provinces.

Nonetheless, state media and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitoring group based in Britain, reported on Sunday that Syrian government forces initiated a counteroffensive in the northern countryside of Hama, successfully reclaiming significant areas from the rebel factions.

Additionally, on Sunday, Iranian media indicated that Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi had departed for the Syrian capital Damascus as part of a regional tour.

The spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baghaei, announced in a statement that Araghchi would also proceed to Türkiye for discussions on bilateral and regional matters before continuing to his next undisclosed destination.