Iran Condemns the Killing of Embassy Employee in Damascus

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, condemned the killing of Seyed Davoud Bitraf, a local staff member at Iran’s embassy in Damascus. Baghaei stated, “Davoud Bitraf was martyred last Sunday morning in a terrorist attack when assailants opened fire on his car in Damascus,” and strongly condemned “this criminal act,” according to Iran’s Mehr News Agency.

The spokesman added that “the body of the martyr Bitraf was discovered, identified, and recently transported to Iran,” emphasizing the “responsibility of the transitional Syrian government to identify, prosecute, and punish the perpetrators of this crime.” He also noted that the Foreign Ministry is closely following the case through various diplomatic and international channels.

Previously, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that the reopening of Iran’s embassy in Damascus depends on ensuring the security of the premises and the diplomatic mission members.

Following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad’s regime by Syrian armed factions on the 8th of this month, the Iranian embassy was closed and stormed. Iran has supported Assad’s regime in its fight against armed groups since 2011.