“The reopening of the embassy in Damascus requires preparations, the most important of which is ensuring the security and safety of the embassy and its staff,” Baqaei said at a weekly press briefing in the capital Tehran on Monday.
He did not provide a specific timeline, but added that Iran will work toward the objective “as soon as the necessary conditions are provided”.
Militants, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), stormed and ransacked the Iranian embassy in Damascus following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s government on December 8.
Baqaei said that the deployment of Iranian military advisers to Syria was fundamental and anchored in certain principles, while their departure was also a responsible move.
“We were neither seeking to conquer Syria nor to revive past empires. What was important in Syria was to help ensure public safety and security against terrorism.”
“We were there for such a purpose and at the invitation of the [former] Syrian government. We were not in Syria to support a specific individual or group. It was important for us to help safeguard the territorial integrity of Syria until the last moment. We believe that prevalence of security in regional countries will guarantee security in West Asia,” the Iranian diplomat stated.
He went on to denounce recent Israeli acts of aggression against Syria, stating that the Arab nation’s territorial integrity has been undermined and portions of its territory have been occupied in blatant violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
