Iran said Monday it supports Syria’s sovereignty, but added that the country should not “sanctuary for terrorism”.

“Our fundamental position on Syria is very clear: the preservation of the sovereignty and integrity of Syria, and for the people of Syria to decide their future“, said the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmail Bakai, adding that the country should not “become a refuge for terrorism”.

“The people of Syria must decide on their future without catastrophic, foreign interventions” noted the Iranian official, in a spike that seems to have been mainly aimed at Ankara.

“We have no direct contact with the [νέα] sovereign authority in Syria,” he clarified.

Tehran has been a staunch supporter of ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad in Syria’s civil war.

Iran investigates arms smuggling to Hezbollah

The possibility of smuggling arms to Hezbollah via flights to Lebanon is meanwhile being considered by Tehran, as the land routes it used in the past to Syria are no longer feasible.

With the resumption of flights between Tehran and Beirut, the Islamic Republic may seek to turn the Lebanese capital into a center for its traditions, according to a Times report on Monday, citing a source with knowledge of the matter.

The West is “concerned that Iran has lost [τη Δαμασκό ως] its ‘airport’ in the region for arms smuggling and is now trying to turn Beirut airport into its new logistics hub, as it did in Syria,” the source said.

Note that this “could lead to next escalation”.

Recently, the new rebel regime in Syria, led by the jihadist leader Ahmed al-Sara, announced its decision to prevent the Iranians from flying over Syrian skies.