Iran says it won't let al-Assad regime fall

Speaking at a conference called “Iraq and the international coalition against ISIL” in Tehran on Thursday, Amir-Abdollahian said Iran objects to any attempt to damage Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Amir-Abdollahian also stressed that Iran has warned Turkey about the troubling consequences of enforcing a no-fly zone or the entry of armed forces into the Syrian territory, the Iranian state news agency IRNA reported.

Turkish Parliament voted last week on a motion that would allow the government to authorize cross-border military incursions against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants in Syria and Iraq and allow coalition forces to use Turkish territory.

Amir-Abdollahian said that before carrying out air strikes against ISIL, the US had informed Iran that they didn't intend to launch attacks against the facilities of the Assad government. He claimed that the US also informed the Syrian government about their intentions. The minister added that, in spite of this information sharing, Iran does not trust Americans in these matters and is following the developments very closely.

Amir-Abdollahian said Iran had taken measures to help the Kurds in Kobani in the context of aid carried out by the Syrian regime, but didn't give more details about the aid.

The minister said Iran has been negotiating with neighboring countries including Turkey to end the crisis in Kobani. Iran thinks Turkey would play an important role in enabling Syrian refugees to return to their homeland, he said.

Turkey slams Iran over its warnings

The Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Wednesday saying that Turkey maintains a principled and responsible attitude vis-à-vis the conflict in Syria and approaches the issue with utmost sensitivity.

Ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç slammed his Iranian counterpart Merziye Afham's call for Turkey to “act responsibly” with regards to the crisis in the region. He said, “No one should remind Turkey of its responsibilities”.

“Turkey will continue to act henceforth in the same meticulous manner and to take necessary measures in the face of threats against its national security on the basis of international law… [Turkey] has no need to be reminded of its responsibilities in this regard,” Bilgiç said.