Syrian minister denies Iranian fighters presence on Syrian soil

Syria's Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi on Wednesday denied reports about the presence of Iranian forces fighting on Syrian soil, according to the pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV.

"There are no Iranian forces on the Syrian territories and the relations between Damascus and Tehran are deep and firm," al-Zoubi told al-Mayadeen in an interview.

The minister's remarks came as foreign reports said thousands of Shiite Iranian and Iraqi fighters arrived in Syria to aid the Syrian troops in the battles against the jihadist militants, mainly around the capital Damascus.

Despite the setbacks the Syrian forces have suffered recently in northern and southern Syria, the minister stressed that "the Syrian army is still solid and capable of settling the situation."

The minister also underscored the strength of the Syrian-Russian relations, noting that President Bashar al-Assad is the "key to the solution."

Al-Zoubi, meanwhile, said that the time is not late for reconciliation and political dialogue in Syria, stressing that the political dialogue is the solution to confront the terror groups. Endit