Iran underlines peaceful solution to Syrian crisis

Iran once again called for the peaceful settlement of the crisis in Syria, stressing that foreign meddling in the internal affairs of the Muslim country will make the situation worse. Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, in a press conference on Tuesday, rejected the military option as a solution to the Syrian crisis, and added, “The solution for Syria is a political solution with the participation of all the Syrian groups including the government and opposition.” Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs and terrorists against Syrian forces and civilians being reported across the country. The US and its western and regional allies have long sought to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his ruling system. Media reports said that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups have received significantly more and better weapons, a crime paid for by the Persian Gulf Arab states and coordinated by the United States. The US daily, Washington Post, reported in May 2012 that the Syrian rebels and terrorist groups battling al-Assad's government have received significantly more and better weapons in recent weeks, a crime paid for by the Persian Gulf Arab states and coordinated by the United States. The newspaper, quoting opposition activists and US and foreign officials, reported that Obama administration officials emphasized the administration has expanded contacts with opposition military forces to provide the Persian Gulf nations with assessments of rebel credibility and command-and-control infrastructure. Opposition activists who several months ago said the rebels were running out of ammunition said last May that the flow of weapons - most bought on the black market in neighboring countries or from elements of the Syrian military in the past - has significantly increased after a decision by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Persian Gulf states to provide millions of dollars in funding each month.