TEHRAN - Hossein Naghavi Hosseini, the spokesman for the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, has said that Iran supports Syria’s territorial integrity, censuring Turkish military aggression on northeastern Syria.

“Islamic Republic of Iran’s principled strategy has always been supporting countries’ territorial integrity and avoiding interference and aggression. We believe that all must respect each other’s territorial integrity and not take action against other countries,” he told ISNA in an interview published on Saturday.

He said Tehran attaches great importance to solving problems through talks rather than taking military actions.

“Military aggression will just escalate tension and add to problems in the region, especially in a country like Syria which has just been liberated from Daesh,” he remarked.

Turkey launched military operation against Syrian Kurdish fighters, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in northeast Syria on Wednesday.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Thursday urging Turkey to immediately stop offensive against northeastern Syria and withdraw its forces from the region.

The statement said, “As it has been announced earlier, the Islamic Republic of Iran considers the current regional situation a consequence of extra-regional interferences, especially by the United States. 

The ministry said Iran, by capitalizing on its regional influence, has solutions to problems haunting the region. “Based on its view on solving problems within its regional capacities, Iran is ready to play a role.” 

The crisis can just be settled through peaceful solutions and respect for Syria’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty, the statement added.

President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that security at Syria-Turkey borders can just be provided by the Syrian Army.

“We have announced that security at the north of Syria and south of Turkey can just be provided by the Syrian Army and we should make the grounds for the Syrian Army’s presence in this region. Other countries should help and the United States’ forces leave this region, and the Kurds in this region, which is their own country, should be beside the Syrian Army,” he said at a cabinet session.

NA/PA