Syria's new foreign minister tells Iran not to spread chaos in Syria

A Syrian fighter stands guard next to AK-47 rifles surrendered by members of ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad's army and pro-government militias in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

CAIRO/DUBAI — Syria's newly appointed foreign minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, told Iran on Tuesday not to spread chaos in Syria but to respect the Syrian people's will and the country's sovereignty.

In a post on X, Shibani said: "Iran must respect the will of the Syrian people and the country's sovereignty and security. We warn them from spreading chaos in Syria and we hold them accountable for the repercussions of the latest remarks."

He did not specify the remarks he was referring to.

In a televised speech on Sunday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Syrian youth to "stand with firm determination against those who have orchestrated and brought about this insecurity."

"We predict that a strong and honorable group will also emerge in Syria because today Syrian youth have nothing to lose. Their schools, universities, homes, and streets are unsafe," Khameini said.

He added: "Therefore, they must stand firmly with determination against the planners and executors of insecurity and prevail over them."

Syrian rebels ousted President Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8 after a 13-year civil war.

Iran spent billions of dollars propping up Assad during the war and deployed its Revolutionary Guards to Syria to keep its ally in power.

Assad's overthrow is widely seen as a major blow to the Iran-led "Axis of Resistance" political and military alliance that opposes Israeli and U.S. influence in the Middle East.

(Reporting by Menna Alaa, Jaidaa Taha and Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Leslie Adler and Howard Goller)