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With international pressure increasing on efforts to end the two-year-long conflict, Iran – which maintains strong connections with President Bashar-al Assad’s regime – has come out strongly, warning the West against arming the rebels.

The Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Saeed Jalili reiterated his government’s standpoint to euronews:

“The price is not only being paid by Syrian people. Rather it is also being paid by the people of Europe. Insisting on this wrongful behaviour they have given opportunities to terrorists to come thousands of kilometres from Afghanistan to the borders of Europe. I think that this is something that the people in Europe need to be worried about this.”

Saeed Jalili is currently leading Iran’s negotiations on the country’s nuclear dispute with major world powers. The UN’s nuclear agency and Europe want Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment to reassure everyone it is not seeking nuclear weapons.

“We have provided the Agency with the widest level of cooperation that is possible. I would go so far as to say that our cooperation with the Agency is unprecedented,” said Jalili.

Jalili’s comments will come as a surprise to the US and Europe, however his last minute entry into Iran’s forthcoming presidential elections may indicate Tehran is ready for dialogue on major world issues.

“As an active member of the Non-Proliferation treaty we are ready to co-operate with the IAEA, as always, to keep the closest eye on Iran’s nuclear activities,” he said.

Jalili insisted Iran would enrich its own nuclear isotopes, whoever becomes the new president in June, and that it did not fear any enemy.

“The Islamic Republic’s military capabilities are so strong that no enemy could hope to pull off an attack of any kind. The Zionist state is at its lowest ebb; it has been defeated in much smaller wars that it started itself.”