News - Middle East: Ali Larijani, an advisor to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus to convey the Islamic Republic’s support for the Syrian government amid an offensive by militant forces.

An informed source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Press TV website on Saturday that the meeting took place in the Syrian capital on Friday. 

Meanwhile, a senior Iranian legislator roundly dismissed allegations about the closure of the country’s embassy in Syria and evacuation of its personnel as well as military advisors from Damascus, stressing that the diplomats and commanders are still in the Arab country..

“We have not evacuated our advisors and embassy [staff]. They are present in Damascus,” Yaqoub Rezazadeh, a member of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said on Saturday.

He expressed hope that the diplomatic endeavors, which kicked off the previous day with a visit by Larijani to Syria as well as trips by Iranian Foreign Ministry officials to Iraq and Qatar would yield satisfactory results.

Rezazadeh also denied reports that President Assad's family had departed Syria. “The news that Assad and his family left Syria is not true.”

“Dr. Larijani met with him (President Assad) in Damascus yesterday,” the top Iranian lawmaker stated.

Rezazadeh voiced concern over the unfolding developments in Syria, saying, “Negotiations have been held with the Russian government. Political and diplomatic measures have also been undertaken with the countries neighboring Syria like Turkey and Iraq as well as Russia, which has special interests in Syria.”

Earlier on Saturday, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that the country’s diplomatic mission in Damascus is operating normally.

Esmaeil Baghaei unequivocally rejected claims about the evacuation of Iran’s embassy in Damascus.

“Those claims are not true. Iran’s embassy (in Damascus) is still operating and continues with its routine activities,” he pointed out.

Foreign-backed militants led by the Hay’at Tahrir al-Shams (HTS) group carried out a surprise assault in the Aleppo and Idlib countryside last month and overran several villages and towns before entering Aleppo on November 27.

Israel has been the principal supporter of militant groups that oppose the democratically-elected government of President Assad since the foreign-backed militancy erupted in Syria.

Press TV