Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that the Syrian people are the ones who should decide the future of their country and its political system.

Pezeshkian made the comment during a cabinet meeting on Sunday, in reaction to the falling of the government of Bashar al-Assad in Damascus where armed groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took control of the capital Damascus earlier in the day.

The Iranian president emphasized the importance of preserving unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Syria, as well as dialog among different Syrian groups to reach understanding over the situation in their country.

He expressed hope that violence comes to an end in Syria as soon as possible so that people in that country can decide their fate without any worry or “destructive” external interference.

Pezeshkian also stressed the need for protecting the security of Syrian citizens and other residents, holy sites as well as all diplomatic missions in accordance with international law.

The Iranian president said that his country will continue diplomatic negotiations with relevant parties and the United Nations in order to help stabilize the situation and protect regional security and stability.

Pezeshkian meanwhile strongly condemned the Zionist regime’s aggression on Syrian soil, calling on all Syrian parties as well as regional countries to be vigilant about the regime’s misuse of the situation to advance its illegal and expansionist policies towards regional nations.