Iran warns of civil war in Syria.
This warning comes after the Israeli military announced on December 8th that it had captured a buffer zone on the border with Syria.
TASS reported on December 9th that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Syria could now face the risk of civil war and disintegration as armed opposition forces have seized control of Damascus.
"We are monitoring developments in Syria and want to prevent the escalation of concerns about the possibility of a civil war or a war between religions, as Syria faces the risk of partial or complete disintegration, or becoming a haven for terrorists," Iran's top diplomat said in a statement broadcast on Iranian state television.
Foreign Minister Araghchi added that the Islamic Republic is also particularly concerned about Israel's "abuses," some of which he said had been taken since the evening of December 8.
This warning comes after the Israeli military announced on December 8th that it had captured a buffer zone on the border with Syria. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called this a defensive move in light of the latest developments in the Arab republic.
Earlier, according to TASS, Syrian armed opposition forces launched a large-scale offensive against government troops in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces starting on November 27.
By the evening of December 7th, opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad had captured several major cities, including Aleppo, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, Daraa, and Homs. On the morning of December 8th, they advanced into Damascus while government forces withdrew. Following internal negotiations in Syria, President Assad resigned and left the country.
