Iran has no ground troops in Syria: Official

Iran has dismissed reports claiming that Tehran has dispatched ground troops to Syria.

An unnamed Iranian Foreign Ministry official said on Friday that Tehran has not altered its policy of helping and cooperating with Syria in the fight against terrorists through the provision of military advice to the Arab country's forces, IRNA reported.

The official said the claim by foreign officials and media about the presence of Iranian troops on the ground in Syria is aimed at distorting realities about the events that unfold inside Syria in the battle against terrorist groups.

Iran’s advisory presence in Syria is aimed at helping the Arab country in the fight against terrorism, the official said.

The media propaganda to distort reports about Iran’s advisory presence in Syria, the official stated, is a blame game to cover up the financial, arms and intelligence assistance by the West and its allies to the Takfiri terrorist groups operating against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Earlier this week, Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi also dismissed allegations of Iran’s military presence in the Arab country, saying the Islamic Republic only provides military consultations to the Damascus government.

The Syrian minister has said that there are no Iranian troops fighting in Syria.

Some Arab and Western reports had claimed on Wednesday that Iran had sent hundreds of troops to northern and central Syria to join the forces of the Lebanese resistance movement, Hezbollah, and the Syrian army on the ground against Takfiris while Russia conducts airstrikes against the terrorists.

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