Iran denies its troops are in Syria

Spokeswoman of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Marzieh Afkham yesterday denied reports that Tehran had deployed troops to Syria, AFP reported.

The remarks came after reports said thousands of Iranian troops had been deployed across the war-torn country, whose president is an ally of Iran.

Reports that forces “friendly” to the Assad regime had been flown in are “unfounded”, Afkham said. “The Syrian government and people have the capacity to resist and the will continue to do so,” she added.

Iran has been the main supporter and ally of the Syrian government both politically and financially, sending many military advisers to the country.

Anonymous security source told AFP that 7,000 troops had already been deployed to Syria with another 3,000 to come.

Meanwhile, Afkham expressed condolences to the people of Saudi Arabia after four were poisoned to death in Iran. “We are sorry for what happened and we extend our condolences to the victims’ families,” she said.