Arab League tells Iran to avoid creating strife in Syria

The Arab League also criticized Iran for rhetoric it believed was ‘fueling strife among the Syrian people.’

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The Arab League has cautioned Iran to avoid actions that could aggravate tensions in Syria, AFP reports.

Iran had a history of backing Bashar Al-Assad’s regime, which collapsed on December 8th.

During nearly a decade of civil war, Iran provided military support to prop up the Assad regime.

At the beginning of the civil war, then-Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent Islamic Republican Guard Corp (IRGC) terrorists to fight alongside Assad’s troops.

Ali Akbar Velayati, a top aide to Iran’s Supreme Leader Al Khameini, said Iran would only withdraw its “military advisers” from Syria when the country wanted it to.

However, the Arab League on Thursday sought to limit Iran’s interference in Syria’s affairs and emphasized the importance of Syria’s sovereignty.

The League warned Iran that it should “Confine the possession of weapons to the state, disband all armed groups, and reject any foreign interventions that threaten stability.”

It also criticized Iran for rhetoric it believed was “fueling strife among the Syrian people.”

On Sunday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei commented on Assad’s downfall, forecasting the rise of a “strong and honorable movement” in Syria, while asserting that the country’s youth “have nothing left to lose.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei denied Iran was meddling in Syria’s affairs. He said his country was committed to “supporting Syria’s territorial integrity and national unity, along with the establishment of an inclusive political system.”

The new regime in Syria under Abu Muhammad al-Julani has declared that it will not permit Iranian planes to enter its airspace, according to Walla.

Initially, the decision was limited to planes used for military purposes, such as transferring weapons or moving troops. However, on Sunday, it became evident that the ban extended to all Iranian aircraft.

Security sources say this is the most decisive declaration of Syria’s independence and repudiation of the “Axis of Evil” headed by Iran. Iranian planes require access to Syrian airspace to transport supplies to terror proxies, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon.