Iran denies evacuating diplomats from Syria

Iran has denied reports that it is evacuating its embassy in Syria due to the ongoing terrorist offensive, a Foreign Ministry spokesman has said. Tehran and Moscow have vowed to help Damascus defeat the surprise advance.

On Friday, the New York Times reported, citing sources in the region including Iranian officials, that Tehran had begun extracting its military commanders, some diplomatic staff, their families, and other civilians, from the embattled country.

The evacuation reportedly included the Iranian Embassy in Damascus and bases of the Revolutionary Guards. The paper said people have been leaving by plane, land routes to neighboring Lebanon and Iraq, and via the port of Latakia, which is home to a Russian military base.

The militant group Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS), an offshoot of Jabhat al-Nusra, along with its allies, launched a surprise offensive against government forces last week, capturing large swaths of territory, including parts of Aleppo and the city of Hama. The Syrian military has redeployed forces to threatened regions, with the support of Russian warplanes. Local media reports have claimed the terrorist forces have lost around 2,500 troops in the fighting.

However, Ismail Baghaei, a spokesman for Tehran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has dismissed reports of an evacuation.

“The news regarding the evacuation of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s embassy in Damascus is not true,” he said, as cited by the Mehr news agency, adding that the mission “continues its activities.” He previously said that Iranian military advisers are continuing their support for the Syrian military.

On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the terrorist groups attacking the Syrian military “have hatched a long-term plot to cause insecurity and violence in the region,” adding that Tehran and its regional partners will “strengthen consultations and coordination in order to support the Syrian government.” 

Russia has also signaled its intention to keep supporting the government of President Bashar Assad. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has reiterated that Moscow remains in contact with Damascus and is analyzing the level of support it will need to provide to government forces “to deal with the militants and eliminate this threat.”