Iran "does not directly contact Syria's new government"

Iran said earlier this month it had not yet had direct contact with Syria's new ruling bloc.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Bagai made the remarks during a regular press briefing on the 23rd local time about relations with Syria, which was won by rebels who had been at odds with Iran, according to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency.

Bagai said he had been in contact with opposition groups in Syria for a long time before the collapse of the government in Assad and told opposition groups that Iran's presence in Syria was aimed at preventing Islamic State from advancing and spreading terrorism to countries in the region.

Iran was the strongest supporter of the Assad government, but it emphasized that the intervention at the time was not to interfere in domestic affairs but to counter terrorism.

Asked if Syria's new ruling bloc had sent a message to Iran through Turkiye, Bagai also declined to give a direct answer, saying the Syrian issue is on the agenda for talks between Iran and Turkiye.

"Our principled position on Syria is to respect Syria's sovereignty and integrity and to help the Syrian people decide their fate without foreign interference," he said in principle.