TEHRAN, Dec 15 (KUNA) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Saturday his country, a traditional ally of Syria, would never allow Western intervention to oust Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad by force.
The international conventions are being violated with regard to the sovereignty of an independent state and founding member of the United Nations, local official media quoted Salehi as saying here.
The minister attributed the western countries' hostility against the Syrian regime to the latter's policy opposed to the Israeli occupation, imperialism and the West's hegemony.
Only the Syrian people have the right to choose their own rulers or regime; no external force could infringe on this right, he added.
Salehi affirmed that the attempts of the foreign forces to change the ruling regime in Syria reached their climax and that Iran is doing its utmost to stop reverse this trend.
He noted that Russia and China back up the Iranian stance on the Syrian crisis which testifies to the legitimacy and legality of the Iranian policy, noting that the coming few months would force "the arrogant powers" to accept a negotiated settlement to the conflict. (end) ms.gb KUNA 160047 Dec 12NNNN