Mohammad al-Jaffal, adviser for Afro-Asian affairs at Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, said Syria’s position toward Iranian policy stems from 14 years of war, killing, displacement and destruction, as well as Iran’s role in supporting the Assad regime.

In remarks to the official Syrian Arab News Agency, SANA, on Sunday, Sept. 27, al-Jaffal said Damascus’ stance was not a temporary political position, noting that Tehran had stood by the Assad regime at the expense of the Syrian people.

He said Iran’s position contributed to complicating the crisis and brought further suffering to Syrians, stressing that this could not be ignored when discussing relations between the two countries.

Al-Jaffal noted that the teachings of Islam are not political slogans, but values translated into justice, fairness, rejection of oppression and respect for human dignity.

He added that the new Syria is pursuing an open policy toward all countries, but cannot disregard what happened or the rights of Syrians.

Al-Jaffal said that if Iran wants to build a new relationship with Syria, it must respect Syria’s sovereignty and the will of its people, and review its previous policies to build trust.

Syria is not a sphere of influence for any country today, and its foreign relations will be based on mutual respect, national interests, and relations between equals, according to al-Jaffal. He added that Damascus seeks neither hostility nor dependence on any country, but balanced relations that respect Syria’s sovereignty and the choices of its people.

Lack of Relations Stems From Damascus’ Position

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country has so far been unable to establish relations with Syria because of “the impression they created,” referring to the Syrian government.

In an interview with Qatar’s Al Jazeera published on Sunday, Sept. 27, Pezeshkian expressed hope that Damascus would act “based on Islam, religion, justice and fairness” in shaping relations between the two countries.

“If we act based on God’s religion and the Prophet’s tradition, there will be no problem,” he added.

Syrian-Iranian relations have been severed since the fall of the Assad regime on Dec. 8, 2024.

Iran was among the most prominent financial and military supporters of the former regime throughout the years of the Syrian revolution.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on Aug. 21, in response to a journalist’s question during a visit to Pakistan about restoring Syrian-Iranian relations, that the issue was linked to Iran acknowledging what it had done in Syria over the previous years.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa also said during a discussion at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, in London on March 31 that Iran, through its support for militias and the regime, had been at the forefront of the conflict waged by Assad against the Syrian people.

He added that after the new government arrived in Damascus, it had no problem with Iran in Tehran. Rather, he said, the problem had been with Iran in Damascus, where it had occupied Syrian villages and towns and displaced residents.