The deputy foreign minister says Tehran is ready to help Kurdish fighters in Kobane, who are defending their town against Islamic State (IS) militants, as part of its policy to back the Syrian government's campaign against terrorism.
"Tehran will take any steps necessary to help the Kurds," Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told reporters on the sidelines of a conference entitled "Iraq and International Coalition against IS" in Tehran on Thursday.
"Regional talks are underway over this issue and we hope a serious measure will be taken in that regard," he said.
The diplomat also said "Iran and Turkey are in consultation over the ongoing situation in Kobane, and that Tehran has already warned Ankara against sending troops into Syria," IRNA reported.
On October 2, Turkey's parliament passed a controversial motion authorizing the government to carry out military operations against IS terrorists in Syria and Iraq. However, Ankara has ruled out a ground operation on its own against IS in Syria.
The Syrian Kurdish town of Kobane has been under siege for several weeks now. Following an international outcry, the US conducted a series of air strikes to stop terrorists' march in that city. Earlier reports said the militants had controlled almost one-third of the city, which is located on the Turkish-Syrian border.
“During our preliminary consultations with Turkey, we have found out that Ankara does not seek escalation of crisis in the region and we hope it will play a positive role in this regard,” the deputy foreign minister said. Elsewhere he said, "Tehran does not want Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to remain in power for lifetime; however, we will not allow his government and the axes of resistance to fall by terrorists."
Tehran has already told Americans that any attempt to overthrow the Syrian government under the guise of fighting terrorism will have serious consequences for the region, Amir-Abdollahian stressed.
"If necessary Tehran will take any measures in the framework of international law to protect its allies," he pointed out.
