Iran has no military bases or military presence in Syria, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Monday.
“No, we do not have them [in Syria],” Zarif told reporters when asked the relevant question.
According to the top official, Israel violated Syria’s airspace and such “aggression” should be stopped.
“What happened in Syria on Saturday [Fabriary 10]? Israel violated Syria’s airspace several times. It should be noted that Israel is permanently bombing Syria. And Syrian forces had managed to down an Israeli aircraft for the first time,” Zarif said.
The statement comes amid Israeli and US officials’ concern over alleged Iranian presence in Syria, a claim that Tehran has repeatedly refuted, however, admitting that it sends military advisors to help the Syrian government fight terrorists.
Earlier this month, the Israeli Air Force allegedly downed an Iranian UAV in Syria, with Syrian air defenses, launching several anti-aircraft missiles against the Israeli F-16 fighter in response.
Following the retaliatory fire, the Israeli side attacked 12 positions in Syria, including eight Syrian airplanes and three anti-aircraft batteries. Following the incident, Iranian Foreign Ministry has once again denied its military presence in Syria, lambasting claims about the downed drone.
Speaking further, Zarif said that Iran and Saudi Arabia could work together to stabilize and reconstruct the region.
“There is nothing that prevents Iran and Saudi Arabia from working together for the improvement of the situation not only in Iraq, but also in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Bahrain and elsewhere. We can actually work together as a source of stability and development,” Zarif said at the conference “Russia in the Middle East: playing on all fields” in Moscow.