News - Middle East: The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry has condemned the shooting death of its local embassy staffer in the Syrian capital of Damascus, when terrorists opened fire on the vehicle he was in.

On Saturday, Esmaeil Baghaei extended his condolences to the Iranian nation and the bereaved family of Seyed Davoud Bitaraf over his assassination by “terrorist elements” on December 15.

The diplomat vehemently denounced the act of terror, stating that the body of Bitaraf had been found, identified and transferred to Iran in recent days.

Baghaei also reminded Syria’s new transitional government of its responsibility to identify and punish the perpetrators of the crime.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is seriously pursuing the matter through various diplomatic and international channels in an appropriate manner,” he said.

Speaking at a weekly press briefing in the capital Tehran on Monday, Baghaei said the reopening of the Iranian embassy in Syria is “high on the agenda,” adding that the diplomatic mission will resume its activities once the “necessary conditions” are met.

“The reopening of the embassy in Damascus requires preparations, the most important of which is ensuring the security and safety of the embassy and its staff,” the Iranian diplomat said.

He did not provide a specific timeline, but added that Iran will work toward the objective “as soon as the necessary conditions are provided.”

Militants, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), stormed and ransacked the Iranian embassy in Damascus following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s government on December 8.

 Source: Press TV