“Democracy cannot be achieved by warmongering and sending in terrorists and armed men, but it comes through people’s free will,” Saeed Jalili said in a televised interview with Al Mayadeen Arabic language TV channel on Friday.
He added that the Syrian crisis is an internal issue which should be solved in the country, not through meddling from beyond the borders.
“We believe that Syria is a strong fortress for [anti-Israeli] resistance. Therefore, nobody can speak on behalf of the Syrian people. We believe that the Israeli enemy, which opposes the ruling establishment in Syria, is not after welfare and freedom of the Syrian people, but seeks revenge on Syria for its support of the [anti-Israeli] resistance axis,” Jalili noted
He emphasized that the global centers of power and wealth are merely pursuing their own interests in Syria
“The US openly declares that it has specific goals and intentions [in Syria]; who has given the US the right to impose … sanctions on Syria and speak on behalf of Syrian people?” Jalili asked
He further noted that Syrian President Bashar Assad has been able to survive the massive foreign-sponsored armed insurgency in his country by relying on the popular backing of Syrians.
“Of course, we are not saying that nobody opposes him, but the general will of the Syrian people is behind him,” the Iranian official said.
Syria has been the scene of deadly unrest since mid-March, 2011 and many people, including large numbers of army and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on August 1 that the country is engaged in a ''crucial and heroic'' battle that will determine the destiny of the nation.
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