Iran will grow stronger despite setbacks in Syria, says Khamenei

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Iran and its alliance in the Middle East has not been weakened despite the toppling of its ally Bashar Al Assad in Syria, the country's supreme leader Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday,

Mr Khamenei said that the US and Israel were behind Mr Al Assad's deposing in Syria, which has struck a blow to Iran's influence in the area, especially after its proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah, reached a ceasefire deal with Israel last month.

“The more pressure you exert, the stronger the resistance becomes. The more crimes you commit, the more determined it becomes. The more you fight against it, the more it expands,” Mr Khamenei said in a speech reported by Iranian state media.

“Iran is strong and powerful – and will become even stronger.”

The fall of Mr Al Assad, a staunch Iranian ally, is widely seen as a significant blow for Tehran and its so-called Axis of Resistance, an informal alliance stringing together Syria and militant groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, that opposes Israel and US influence in the Middle East.

Iran spent billions of dollars supporting Mr Al Assad during the civil war and sent its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to Syria to keep its ally in power. Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters also played a major role in helping the deposed Syrian dictator crush rebel forces during the civil war.

But as soon as the rebel forces, led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, took over Damascus and announced the fall of the regime on Sunday, the Iranian embassy in Damascus was vandalised.

Meanwhile, Nato member Turkey, which is fighting the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, has been a major backer of opposition groups aiming to overthrow Assad since the outbreak of the civil war in 2011.

Soon after the fall of Mr Al Assad, Iran hinted that it was willing to establish normal relations with Syria’s new government based on a “far-sighted and wise approach.” The Iranian leadership has also called on the rebel forces to establish an inclusive government representing all segments of Syrian society.

In his speech, Mr Khamenei said the swift offensive which led to Mr Al Assad fleeing Syria was “mainly planned in the command rooms of America and Israel. We have evidence of this”.

He said one of Syria’s neighbouring governments, which has supported and armed anti-Assad regime rebels, was involved, in an apparent reference to Turkey.

“The neighbour had a “clear role and continues to do so,” he said.