TEHRAN: Iran’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that its embassy in Syrian would reopen once the “necessary conditions” are met, after the diplomatic mission was vandalised following the ouster of Tehran ally Bashar al-Assad.

“The reopening of the embassy in Damascus requires preparations, the most important of which is ensuring the security and safety of the embassy and its staff,” said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei.

He added that work to that end will be pursued “as soon as the necessary conditions are provided”, without offering a specific timeline.

The Iranian embassy in Damascus was ransacked after diplomats abandoned it in the wake of the rapid advance of rebels opposed to Assad’s rule.

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On December 8, the rebel forces took Damascus and ousted the longtime ruler.

Iran had supported Assad through Syria’s civil war, which began in 2011, sending “military advisers” at his request.But since his fall, Iran has sought to distance itself from the deposed leader, instead stressing the history of friendship between the two countries.

Baqaei said on Tuesday that Iran’s “advisory” presence in Syria was “at the invitation of the government”.

“We were never in Syria to support a specific person, group or party,” he said.

“Our presence in Syria was fundamental and principled, and our withdrawal was responsible.”

Baqaei also said that Iran’s rival Israel, which has conducted hundreds of airstrikes in Syria since Assad’s fall and sent troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone, has “severely violated Syria’s territorial integrity”.