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Iran says U.S. responsible for Iranians abducted in Syria

08 August 2012 03:42 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Iran said on Tuesday that the United States is responsible for the lives of Iranians abducted in Syria, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

A total of 48 Iranian pilgrims were abducted Saturday by militants in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned Swiss charge d’affaires on Tuesday to protest against the abduction of the Iranian pilgrims by the opposition groups in Syria, said Press TV.

The Swiss embassy in Tehran represents the U.S. interests in Iran since Tehran and Washington severed diplomatic relations in 1980.

Reza Zabib, the director general of the North America Bureau of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, told the Swiss diplomat that Washington is responsible for the lives of the Iranian nationals kidnapped in Syria, according to the report.

The United States should use its influence on the opposition groups in Syria to free the abducted Iranians "without any preconditions," Zabib was quoted as saying.

Switzerland’s charge d’affaires said that Iran’s protest will be conveyed to the U.S. administration and its response will be handed to Iran, said Press TV.

Also, an Iranian Foreign Ministry official said Turkey and Qatar, which are supporting opposition groups in Syria, are responsible for the lives of abducted Iranians, Press TV reported Tuesday.

Iran holds the Turkish government responsible for giving shelter to the Syrian armed groups and also the criminal act of kidnapping Iranian citizens by these groups, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian was quoted as saying on Monday.

"We also hold the Qatari government accountable," said Amir Abdollahian.

Media reported on Monday that three seized Iranians in Syria have been killed and Syrian rebels have threatened to kill the other Iranians if the Syrian army does not stop its attack.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi left for Ankara on Tuesday to discuss the abducted issue with Turkish officials, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry website.

"Since the Free Syrian Army has claimed responsibility for the abduction of Iranian pilgrims, the trip of Dr. Salehi aims to remind Ankara of its responsibility over the issue," said the report.

On Tuesday, Saeed Jalili, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, arrived in Syria and held talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

A source in the Iranian embassy told Xinhua that the talks focus on the current situation in Syria, and mainly the case of 48 Iranian pilgrims kidnapped in Damascus.

During his meeting with Jalili, Assad said that the Syrian people are determined to purge the country of "terrorists," according to Syria’s official SANA news agency.

Iran said the kidnapped people are Shiite pilgrims.

The Iranians and the Shiite people have been recently targeted in Syria by the Sunni-dominated opposition fighters, who believe that Iran is backing the Assad leadership.