Iran plans to resume operations at its embassy in Damascus, exiled Iranian Ambassador to Syria Hossein Akbari said late on December 15 in an interview on Iran’s state television.

The Iranian embassy in Damascus was evacuated following the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, with locals and fighters ransacking the building, smashing windows and stealing fridges and other items as it remained unprotected. 

Akbari said security precautions had been taken for diplomatic staff before recent developments in Damascus, with the embassy being evacuated late in the evening before the collapse of the Assad regime.

He added that they had anticipated such potential incidents. On the Saturday night before Damascus's fall, he and his colleagues remained in the embassy until 11 PM.

"We had anticipated these developments and evacuated pilgrims, relocating remaining personnel to Beirut," Akbari said, adding that armed groups now controlling Damascus have secured the embassy premises and installed barriers to protect the building.

The ambassador dismissed reports claiming $43mn had been stolen from the embassy during recent incidents, stating no currency had been present on the premises.

The Tehran-based diplomat said, “Not even one dollar was present,” adding, “No one surrendered or sought refuge, and no technical equipment or facilities remained in the embassy," he said on IRIB.  

“The armed groups are providing security for the embassy, have installed fencing, and are preventing unauthorised photography of the premises," Akbari said, noting that Syria's new authorities had previously offered security guarantees.

The ambassador said that discussions are underway to restart consular services in Damascus, and Syrian officials have expressed readiness to facilitate the reopening.

The incoming Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regime led by Commander Ahmed al-Shara'a (also known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani) stated this week he would hold Iran and the ousted Assad regime personally responsible for the war in the country.

This new triumph, my brothers, marks a new chapter in the history of the region, a history fraught with dangers (that left) Syria as a playground for Iranian ambitions, spreading sectarianism, stirring corruption."

In an earlier interview with CNN, he said that Iran should stand by the Syrian people and rethink its support for the ousted al-Assad regime. 

Turkey, which backed the HTS takeover of Syria, reopened its embassy in Damascus after more than 12 years of closure. 

Turkish state agency Anadolu reported that Ankara had appointed Burhan Koroglu, its ambassador to Nouakchott, as the temporary charge d’affaires in Damascus.