Iran lays out conditions for re-opening embassy in Syria

Iran’s foreign ministry listed Tuesday its “necessary conditions” for re-opening its embassy in Damascus after it was vandalized following the opposition takeover of the capital on Dec. 8, 2024.

"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," said foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei, in statements cited by Agence France-Presse (AFP).

He added that work to that end will be pursued "as soon as the necessary conditions are provided", without offering a specific timeline.

The Iranian embassy in Damascus was ransacked after diplomats abandoned it as opposition forces seized the capital and ousted Assad.

Iran had supported Assad throughout Syria's civil war, which began in 2011.

Since his fall, Iran has sought to distance itself from the deposed leader, instead emphasizing the history of friendship between the two countries.

Baqaei said on Tuesday that Iran's "advisory" presence in Syria was "at the invitation of the government".

"We were never in Syria to support a specific person, group or party," he said.

"Our presence in Syria was fundamental and principled, and our withdrawal was responsible."

Baqaei also said that Iran's rival “Israel”, which has conducted hundreds of air strikes in Syria since Assad's fall and sent troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone, "severely violated Syria's territorial integrity".

On Monday, EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said Russia and Iran "should not have a place" in war-torn Syria now that Assad is gone.

Baqaei slammed the remarks as a "joke," adding that the era of foreign powers "trying to dictate (policies) on another region is over."