Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reiterated to the grand mufti of Syria his full support in the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. "The United States and its allies are trying to provoke a new war in the region to break the line of the Islamic Resistance and save the Zionist regime (... ) but we believe in unity and wisely we can stand against them," Ahmadinejad told visiting Sheikh Ahmed Badreddine Hassoune.
Hassoune arrived in Tehran to participate in an international conference on Islamic unity. He said "President Bashar al-Assad thanks you for the position of Iran" on Syria.
The visit to Tehran by the highest Sunni religious authority in Syria comes as the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria on Monday accused Iran, as well as Russia and China, of being "involved in the massacres" against the Syrian population by providing the regime of Bashar al-Assad political "support" and "weapons".
Meanwhile, more than 135 civilians were killed Thursday by the regime forces, most of them in the city of Homs. Syrian troops pounded Homs on Thursday, the sixth day of a massive assault intended to bend the rebellious city. From Saturday to Wednesday evening, more than 400 civilians were killed, according to opposition sources. In addition, seven members of the security forces were killed and 12 wounded in an ambush by deserters on the road between Deraa (south) and Damascus.
Elsewhere, troops have been conducting operations in other towns such as in Deir ez-Zor, Zabadani, Madaya (40 kilometers north of Damascus) and Idleb (northwest)
