On Sunday, gunmen stormed the Iranian embassy in Damascus following the city’s capture by Syrian rebels and the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which had strong ties to Iran. Iranian state TV reported that the attackers were part of a group separate from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the rebel faction leading the advances across western Syria.
Footage from Arab and Iranian media showed the attackers rummaging through the embassy’s offices, damaging furniture, documents, and windows, though Reuters could not independently verify the footage.
Earlier, Iran announced it was evacuating family members of embassy staff, but denied reports of pulling out military personnel. Iran’s ambassador to Syria, Hossein Akbari, confirmed that the embassy was still operational with a small team of diplomats, conducting high-level discussions to manage the unfolding situation.
Despite the unrest, HTS reportedly assured that important religious sites in Damascus, such as the Sayeda Zeinab and Sayeda Ruqqaya shrines, would remain undisturbed.
NEWS DESK
PRESS UPDATE