Syrian opposition forces stormed Iran’s embassy in Damascus Sunday following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s government, Iranian state television reported, marking another dramatic development in Syria’s rapidly changing political landscape.
“It is said that the Iranian embassy was stormed alongside nearby stores by an armed group different from the group now controlling [most of] Syria,” Iranian state TV reported, distinguishing the attackers from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the main rebel force that led recent advances across western Syria.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed Iranian diplomats had evacuated the embassy early Sunday before any assault occurred. Al Arabiya broadcast footage showing damaged windows and ransacked offices with scattered documents and furniture inside the diplomatic compound.
Iran’s state media reported that HTS, formerly affiliated with al-Qaeda until leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani broke ties in 2016, had provided guarantees protecting the Sayeda Zeinab and Sayeda Ruqqaya shrines in Damascus.
These sites, particularly venerated by Shia Muslims, have been crucial rallying points for Iran-backed militias during Syria’s civil war. Iran’s Tasnim news agency confirmed shrine staff had returned to Iran before Damascus fell to opposition forces.
