Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says Tehran supports any measures that prevent foreign military intervention in Syria, warning against the repercussions of a possible attack against the Arab country.
Speaking in a televised speech on Tuesday, Rouhani welcomed a Russian plan for Syria's chemical weapons to be put under international control, saying the plan has lowered the risk of a US attack on Damascus.
The Iranian president warned of the consequences of a foreign military intervention in the region, saying those who are after a war will be the first to suffer.
The Russian initiative came shortly after US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters in London on Monday that the only way for Syria to avert US military action is to hand over its entire stockpile of chemical weapons within a week.
The US has based its threat of striking Syria on the unsubstantiated accusation that the Syrian government was behind a chemical attack in Damascus on August 21. The Syrian government has vehemently denied the allegation, saying the attack was carried out by foreign-backed militants operating inside the country as a false-flag operation.
Commenting on Irans nuclear energy program, Rouhani said Iran is ready for serious talks with the world, and that the country wants mutual respect and trust within the framework of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
He added that Tehran wants its rights, including the right to enrich uranium on its territory and under international law, to be recognized.
The Iranian president said resolving the nuclear issue must be a win-win game, and that the time to settle the case will not be unlimited.
The United States, Israel, and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program, with the US and the European Union using the unfounded allegation as a pretext to impose illegal sanctions on Iran.
Tehran rejects the allegations, arguing that as a committed signatory to the NPT and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
In addition, the IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities but has never found any evidence showing that the Iranian nuclear program has been diverted toward military objectives.