Iran warns of civil war in Syria

TASS reported on December 9 that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Syria could now face the risk of civil war and disintegration as armed opposition forces have taken control of Damascus.

"We are following the developments in Syria and want to prevent the rise of fears of a possible civil war or inter-religious war, as Syria is facing 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 was also particularly concerned about Israel's "abusive actions", some of which he said had been taken since the evening of December 8.

The warning comes after the Israeli military announced on December 8 that it had captured a buffer zone on the border with Syria. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a defensive move amid the latest developments in the Arab republic.

Previously, according to TASS, Syrian armed opposition forces launched a large-scale attack on government troops in Aleppo and Idlib provinces from November 27.

By the evening of December 7, 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 8, they entered Damascus, while government forces withdrew from the city. After internal negotiations in Syria, President Assad resigned and left the country.