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Iran’s Ambassador to Syria, Hossein Akbari, has categorically dismissed rumours of a military coup in Damascus and an attempt to detain Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Shafaq news reported on December 1.
Recent reports on social media suggest that Syrian State Security Director General Hosam Louqa, who leads a group of Syrian Army soldiers, is planning a coup against Assad and an attempt to capture the president and his family.
The reports come amid the rise of armed rebel groups supposedly backed by Turkey that have seized control of large parts of Aleppo.
Akbari said reports about a coup published by some Iranian online platforms had surprised them and stressed that “the Syrian army knows what needs to be done.”
“This sedition will be crushed, God willing,” he said.
The Syrian Army General Command had previously rejected rumours of a coup in a statement, describing them as part of a wider media campaign orchestrated by “armed terrorist organisations.” The Command accused opposition forces of disseminating “false news” aimed at undermining the morale of Syrian civilians and soldiers.
“The counterterrorism operation is progressing successfully,” the Command declared, revealing plans for a counteroffensive to reclaim lost territories.
The Iranian ambassador also suggested a connection between the movements of opposition groups in Syria and what he called Israel’s “recent losses in Lebanon”.
Israel has recently reached a ceasefire agreement with the Hezbollah in Lebanon, which halted over a year of cross-border clashes.
Iran described the agreement as a victory for Hezbollah and a defeat for Israel.
The ceasefire, brokered by the United States and France, took effect on November 27, right before the rebels’ rise in Syria. Iranian officials have linked the attack to Israel, claiming it has been backing the takfiri terrorist groups in Syria.
Akbari also claimed the militants are enjoying international support, including the provision of advanced military equipment linked to European countries.
This is while Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which leads the offensive in western Aleppo, has been designated as a terrorist organisation by both the United States and European countries.
Iran has been a crucial ally of the Syrian government since the civil war began in 2011 and has supported the government of Assad by both deploying members of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) and backing allied militias such as Hezbollah.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi called the revival of fighting in northern Syria the result of a “US-Israeli project”, noting that developments followed the Israeli regime’s defeats in Lebanon and Palestinian territories.
Iran’s chief diplomat made this statement during a phone conversation with his Syrian counterpart Bassam al-Sabbagh on November 30, reports Iranian channel Press TV.
Major General Salami, Commander-in-Chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), declared in a message that the recent attacks in Syria are being directed by forces recently defeated in Gaza and Lebanon.
