ALWAGHT- Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf stated that General Qassem Soleimani, the top anti-terror commander, repeatedly urged former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to prioritize the concerns of his people.
Speaking at a meeting with university students in Tehran on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf addressed the recent developments in Syria after militant groups, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), captured the capital, Damascus, in a swift attack.
Qalibaf revealed that General Qassem Soleimani had repeatedly advised former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to consider the concerns of his people. He noted that while Iran has only confronted ISIS terrorists, some opposition groups involved in the conflict were armed protestors whose grievances were discussed at the Astana meetings.
He affirmed Iran’s respect for the Syrian people's decisions and its willingness to support any government that emerges in Syria, provided it rejects ISIS's ideology and avoids ties with the Israeli regime. Under such conditions, Qalibaf said, Iran would work to promote unity among Muslim nations.
Meanwhile, HTS commander Abu Mohammad al-Jolani announced that Syrian state institutions would temporarily operate under Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali until a transition of power occurs. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for dialogue between opposing factions in Syria, emphasizing that the Syrian people must decide the country’s future and political system.
