Iran opens communication with Syrian opposition after Assad's ouster

Iran has reportedly initiated direct communication with Syria’s new leadership following the ousting of its ally, President Bashar al-Assad.

Iran has established direct communication with the Syrian opposition in a bid to "prevent a hostile trajectory" between the two nations, a senior Iranian official told Reuters, News.Az reports.

The lightning advance of a militia alliance spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former al-Qaeda affiliate, marked one of the biggest turning points for the Middle East in generations. Assad's fall as president removed a bastion from which Iran and Russia exercised influence across the Arab world.

Hours after Assad's fall, Iran said it expected relations with Damascus to continue based on the two countries' "far-sighted and wise approach" and called for the establishment of an inclusive government representing all segments of Syrian society.

But there is no panic, three Iranian officials told Reuters, as Tehran seeks diplomatic avenues to establish contact with people whom one of the officials called "those within Syria's new ruling groups whose views are closer to Iran's".

"The main concern for Iran is whether Assad's successor will push Syria away from Tehran's orbit," a second Iranian officials said. "That is a scenario Iran is keen to avoid."

A hostile post-Assad Syria would deprive Lebanese armed group Hezbollah of its only land supply route and deny Iran its main access to the Mediterranean and the "front line" with Israel.

One of the senior officials said Iran's clerical rulers, facing the loss of an important ally in Damascus and the return of Donald Trump to the white House in January, were open to engaging with Syria's new leaders.

"This engagement is key to stabilise ties and avoiding further regional tensions," the official said.

Tehran has established contacts with two groups inside the new leadership and the level of interaction will be assessed in the coming days after a meeting at Iran's Supreme National Security Council, a top security body, he said.

Two of the Iranian officials said Tehran was wary of Trump using Assad's removal as leverage to intensify economic and political pressure on Iran, "either to force concessions or to destabilise the Islamic Republic".

News.Az