Iran condemns deadly violence in Syria against minority groups, urges end to massacre

Iran's Foreign Ministry conveys Tehran's strong condemnation of the massacres against civilians in Syria, denouncing the bloodletting as well as any other hostile and ill-intentioned action targeting minority groups in the Arab country.

"In recent days, unfortunate incidents have taken place in certain areas of Syria. We are deeply concerned about reports of insecurity and violence,” spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said during a press conference on Monday.

“We strongly condemn such actions, and any mass killing or action against civilians is unacceptable and unjustifiable,” he added.

The remarks came amid reports of ongoing violence in northwestern Syria, where entire families have reportedly been killed in escalating clashes.

The death toll from the violence in northwestern Syria has risen to over 1,000 people in just two days, including 745 civilians, who were killed mostly execution-style, 125 militants belonging to the country’s Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)-led regime, and  nearly 150 members of opposition groups, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitor said on Sunday.

UN rights chief demands immediate end to killing of civilians in Syria

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk says the killing of civilians in coastal areas in northwest Syria must cease immediately, calling for a prompt investigation into the killings.

Clashes erupted in the country’s northwestern coastal region on Thursday, which is predominantly inhabited by the Alawite minority sect.

Baghaei noted that “the fact that certain Alawite communities have been targeted has wounded consciences [around the world].”

He called the unwelcome development “a real test” for the HTS-led regime to fulfill its responsibilities “in safeguarding the lives of Syrians.”

“We have conveyed our concerns through appropriate channels to countries that hold influence. Such incidents only complicate Syria’s political situation further," the official concluded regarding the ongoing developments in the Arab country.

Sanctions on Israel

Elsewhere in his remarks, the spokesman addressed the Israeli regime’s ongoing genocidal atrocities against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip that have claimed the lives of at least 48,450 people, mostly women and children.

He pointed to the Islamic Republic’s call on various countries to impose sanctions on the regime as a means of punishing it for the atrocities.

"The demand for an end to any form of support for this regime has been put forward. If we acknowledge that genocide has occurred in Gaza, including the cutting off of water and electricity, which is beyond doubt, then, under the Genocide Convention, countries have obligations to use all means available to stop the genocide.”

Gaza children will die if Israel doesn’t allow medical supplies into Gaza: UNICEF

UNICEF warns that the real life threatening consequences of Israel’s new blockade on Gaza will be that Palestinian children will die.

According to the official, the first step towards enacting the sanctions was to halt the supply of weapons to the regime.

“This is a demand of Islamic countries and was explicitly stated in the Jeddah summit resolution,” he noted, referring to the resolution that was passed at the end of an Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in the Saudi city of Jeddah earlier this month.

“Countries must cease all trade relations with the regime. This is not limited to Islamic countries. Just two weeks ago, the African Union also addressed this issue in its resolutions," Baghaei said.

Negotiations under coercion meaningless

The spokesman also addressed the issue of potential negotiations with the United States.

"Negotiations under conditions or approaches based on coercion, bullying, and pressure are fundamentally meaningless, and the Islamic Republic of Iran has stated its position on this matter very clearly," he asserted.

The official was pointing to the US’s way of retaining and ramping up its so-called policy of “maximum pressure” against Iran, including illegal and unilateral sanctions, and its refusal to return to its 2015 nuclear deal between the Islamic Republic and world powers that was aimed at lifting the bans, at the same time as alleging a desire to engage in talks with Tehran.

He then made mention of a “letter” that US President Donald Trump has claimed has written to Iranian officials.

"A day after this claim, a senior official close to the White House stated that the letter was written but not sent. Two nights ago, [Foreign Minister Abbas] Araghchi also said that we have not received such a letter,” Baghaei said.

Iran will never engage in negotiations under pressure, intimidation: Araghchi

The Iranian foreign minister says Tehran will never engage in negotiations with the United States under pressure and intimidation.

“From the very beginning, some analysts described the claim as a kind of media-psychological game, while others said it was a sign of confusion within the US administration and its bureaucratic system,” he, meanwhile, noted.

The official clarified, however, that “no, no letter has been received."

The Islamic Republic, though, has never closed the door to negotiations in the true and correct sense of the word, he remarked, saying the country had continued its discussions with European countries over the recent months.

The spokesman reemphasized that Tehran did not accept negotiations based on intimidation and threats, and did not even consider such interactions to be negotiations in principle.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir