Iran warns of attempts to sabotage Syria truce

In a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Shamkhani said Iran is committed to helping the implementation of political solutions to the ongoing crisis in Syria, IRNA news agency reported January 8.

"Political negotiations must be held among Syrians and directed by themselves and the United Nations. Influential countries must exclusively play a facilitating role,” he said.

Shamkhani stressed the importance of making collective efforts to hold the talks in Damascus as the capital of the united and undivided Syria.

The top Iranian official said the anti-terrorism front in Syria has found the upper hand thanks to cooperation among Tehran, Damascus, and Moscow.

A truce, brokered by Russia and Turkey, is largely holding across Syria since late December. Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as the al-Nusra Front, and Daesh terrorist groups are excluded from the ongoing truce.

On December 31, the United Nations Security Council approved a resolution endorsing the truce agreement.

The resolution also aims to pave the way for new talks in the Kazakh capital city of Astana next month, ahead of the resumption of UN-brokered peace talks in the Swiss city of Geneva in February.