Iran's Foreign Ministry: We Do Not Have Direct Contact with the Ruling Forces in Syria

Fifteen days after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria and the rise of opposition groups, the Islamic Republic of Iran confirmed that it has not yet established direct contact with the new rulers of Syria. The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry claimed on Monday, December 24, in a press conference in Tehran that the Islamic Republic has 'previously been in contact with various opposition groups in Syria, and this communication continues.' However, Ismail Baqaei added, 'Currently, there is no direct communication with the ruling forces in Syria.' Throughout the 13-year civil war in Syria, the Islamic Republic stood by Bashar al-Assad and sent forces known as 'advisors,' encouraging its other proxy groups in the region to fight to preserve Assad's government. The extremist group Hamas, by refraining from supporting Bashar al-Assad, backed Islamist groups that emerged from the 'Muslim Brotherhood' movement, leading to a crisis in the relationship between this Palestinian group and Tehran over the years. However, Hezbollah in Lebanon played a significant role in the battlefields in line with the shared goals of Tehran and Damascus. Ahmad al-Shar'aa, the commander of 'Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham,' who was known by his combat name 'Abu Muhammad al-Julani' during his military activities against Bashar al-Assad's government, emphasized in several interviews with regional and Western media over the past two weeks that he and other opponents of Bashar al-Assad defeated the 'Iranian plan' for Syria, which he described as a 'conspiracy.' In an interview on December 21 with Asharq Al-Awsat, he stated that the fall of Assad's government 'set back' Iran's 'project' in the region by '40 years.' In recent weeks, delegations from regional countries and Western governments, including American diplomats, have visited Damascus and spoken with Ahmad al-Shar'aa, signaling a green light for their political activities in the new era of Syria. The U.S. is lifting the bounty on al-Julani's capture; 'Iran will have no role in Syria.' Turkey and Qatar have also reopened their embassies in Damascus after years. The Iranian embassy in Syria was the only diplomatic center attacked on December 9 when forces under al-Julani's command arrived in Damascus. The statements of Hossein Akbari, the last Iranian ambassador to Bashar al-Assad's government, indicated Tehran's desire to establish some form of relationship with Damascus. However, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, on Sunday, December 24, in his third speech following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government and his flight to Russia, rejected claims about Iran's failure to advance the 'resistance axis' against Israel, stating regarding Syria that 'the brave Syrian youth' 'will undoubtedly' take action and 'a strong honorable group will emerge in Syria.' It is unclear whether Ali Khamenei's remarks about the emergence of a 'strong honorable group' in Syria will translate into new Iranian operational movements against Syria in this new era. No reports have yet emerged regarding the positions of the new Syrian rulers concerning Khamenei's statements. Hakan Fidan, the Turkish Foreign Minister, whose country supports the 'Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham' group and met with al-Julani in Damascus on December 24, stated last week to Al Jazeera that Turkey has 'talked a thousand times' about the realities in Syria with Iranian officials and has urged Tehran to pay attention to the realities in Syria, but Tehran has taken a different path. In response to Khamenei's statements last week, Mr. Fidan also said that the presence of Iranian forces in Syria has not been able to achieve its objectives regarding Israel. Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry remained silent during the press conference on Monday regarding a report from the Israeli website Walla News about the closure of Syrian airspace to Iran. The Walla News website reported on Sunday, citing an unnamed security source, that Syria has not only closed its airspace to Iranian military aircraft but has also informed Iran that the entry of its civilian and passenger planes into Syrian airspace is prohibited.