Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon Ghazanfar Roknabadi said here Friday Iran recognizes legitimacy of Syrian nation’s demands for reforms and supports them in that respect. According to an IRNA correspondent in Beirut, Roknabadi who was speaking at a press conference referring to the present conditions in Syria, said, “The Syrians are asking for true pursuing of the reforms process, led by their President Bashar al-Assad.” He added, “Iran, in accordance with its Constitution, stands by the side of the entire world nations, including the brother Syrian nation, supporting their legitimate demands.” The Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran Roknabadi said that the comments made by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Qods Brigades Commander Brigadier Qassem Soleimnai have been misquoted, adding, “We have many times rejected the matter, stressing that his remarks have been misquoted and the reported text on his behalf differs with the truth of the matter very greatly.” He added, “Iran recognizes and respects the legitimacy and territorial and geographical integrity of various countries, and that is our basic foreign policy stand.” Focusing on Iran’s earlier invitation of the Leader of Lebanon’s Druze Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) Walid Junbalat, to visit Iran, Roknabadi said, “That invitation is still valid and we welcome Mr. Junbalat anytime he would wish to visit Iran.” He said, “The Zionist regime is the red line of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the world, and the extent of relations between the countries, the groups and the political parties to that regime define the status of Iran’s policies regarding them.” Roknabadi added, “Anyone who would support that regime and is basically its ally, is on the other side of our red line and must be rejected.” The Iranian envoy also said, “Iran considers no discrimination among the tribes, the personalities, and the various tendencies, and wherever there is an oppressed one, regardless of religion, tribe, and political tendency, he is supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Foreign ministry spokesman said here Monday Arab League’s report on Syria is based on technical factors there and is relatively balanced, expressing hope that continuation of AL delegation’s work would lead to national unity and comprehension. According to the IRNA Monday Night News Team, the information website of the IRI Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ramin Mehmanparast further reiterated, “It seems as if the new initiative of the Ministerial Committee of the Arab league has the required and sufficient will for implementing the needed reforms in Syria and the remarks of the Syrian president on January 10th, regarding the establishment of a comprehensive government, the establishment of political parties, and holding free and fair elections in a chronological framework, too, is confirming that stand.” He added, “The Islamic Republic of Iran while emphasizing the need for respecting the political sovereignty of the countries, believes the most appropriate way for Syria’s exit from the present situation is establishment of internal dialogue among the various political factions in that country.” Syria has condemned an Arab League proposal to replace the regime led by President Bashar al-Assad with a democratically elected government, though. The criticism came as the head of the Arab League monitoring team, which has renewed and bolstered its mission in the country, insisted that Damascus had scaled back violence against opponents. The Assad government had offered no immediate official comment in response to Sunday’s Arab League decision to seek UN Security Council approval for a plan to press Mr. Assad to hand power to a national unity government and hold elections for a new parliament and president within six months. But Syria’s state news agency on Monday quoted an anonymous government official saying that the plan amounted to “a violation of its sovereignty and a flagrant interference in its internal affairs”. The official said the League’s proposal was a further evolution of the “conspiracy Syria is being subjected to”, echoing the regime’s narrative that it is the victim of terrorists and armed gangs backed by a coalition of western powers, Israel and al-Qaeda. The international pressure on the regime increased on Monday when the European Union foreign ministers froze the assets of 22 individuals and eight organizations considered to be regime insiders, in addition to sanctions already in place. “The message from the European Union is clear,” said Catherine Ashton, EU foreign policy chief. “The crackdown must stop immediately.” The Organization of the Islamic Cooperation – comprised of 57 Muslim states – also urged Mr. Assad to abide by the Arab League plan, the official Saudi news agency reported. Syrian opposition activists reacted cautiously to the Arab League proposals, welcoming the referral to the Security Council but rejecting any talks to form a unity government with the regime, as stipulated in the proposal, unless Mr. Assad left the office. “There is a mixed feeling about the report,” said Mohammad Obazy, an opposition activist and member of the umbrella organization Syrian National Council. “But there will be no dialogue with the Syrian government until Bashar steps down.” The regime made no comment on the League’s decision to renew and bolster its monitoring mission, launched a month ago to determine Damascus’ compliance with a protocol to end violence in its 10-month confrontation with protesters seeking Mr. Assad’s removal. The opposition has been critical of the mission, led by Mustafa al-Dabi, a Sudanese former general. In his first extensive public remarks since returning from Syria, Dabi told the reporters on Monday that violence in the country was decreasing. His observers could only document 136 deaths, he said, attributing the violence to both the regime and armed opposition groups. Opposition activists said nearly 1,000 Syrians have died in the month since the mission began. Admitting that his team of observers were on the ground for only 20 days and did not prepare adequately for the mission, Mr. Dabi nevertheless declared the project a success. “After the mission the intensity of the violence started to decrease,” he told reporters. “This violence started to be mitigated thanks to the implementation of the protocol.” He was markedly more upbeat than Nabil al-Arabi, Arab League secretary-general, who only hours earlier expressed concerns about the dire humanitarian situation in Syria Dabi said the regime had removed tanks and other heavy weaponry from towns and cities, but conceded his monitors had spotted armored vehicles being used by security forces. “I know the term heavy equipment means tanks, machine guns, or armored vehicles,” he said. “But there is a dilemma with armored personnel carriers. It looks like a tank and even ordinary people see that as a tank. But an expert knows that the armored carrier is for protecting the soldiers from the citizens.”