Russia reaffirms support for Syria’s Assad regime amid ongoing tensions

The Kremlin said Monday that it continued to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after Syrian opposition last week wrested swathes of territory from government control.

“We, of course, continue to support Bashar al-Assad, and we continue contacts at the appropriate levels; we are analyzing the situation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, adding that Russia would draw up a “position on what is necessary to stabilize the situation.”

Iran says to keep ‘military advisers’ in Syria

Iran said on Monday that it plans to keep military advisers in Syria after its ally’s second city, Aleppo, was overrun by rebels in a surprise offensive.

Tehran, which has backed President Bashar al-Assad since Syria‘s civil war broke out in 2011, says it only deploys military advisers in the country at the invitation of Damascus.

“We entered Syria many years ago at the official invitation of the Syrian government when the Syrian people faced the threat of terrorism,” said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei.

“Our military advisers were present in Syria, and they are still present,” and would remain in the country “in accordance with the wishes,” of its government, he told a news conference in Tehran.

Baqaei did not specify whether or not Iran would be increasing its forces in Syria in the wake of the lightning rebel offensive.