In an interview with Iran’s IRIB television on Sunday, Hossein Akbari said discussions are ongoing about reopening the consulate, to which the new rulers in Syria have agreed.
Akbari stated that the embassy’s security was ensured by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militant group that toppled the government of Bashar al-Assad.
He said before the arrival of HTS in Damascus, unidentified individuals looted parts of the capital, including the Iranian Embassy, but dismissed claims about the embassy holding $43 million and about refugees taking shelter there, calling them “baseless.”
The Iranian envoy said the high speed of the developments in Syria surprised even the perpetrators, explaining the initial move by the militants was retaliatory strikes against Syrian and Russian bombings, but expanded due to minimal resistance from the Syrian army, leading to the fall of Aleppo in a matter of days.
Akbari emphasized that Syria will not become like Libya due to different geographical and regional dynamics.
He, however, warned of Israel’s desire to prevent the establishment of a strong government in Syria and the influence of US policies.
