Israel’s air force and navy is estimated to have destroyed around 80 per cent of the Syrian army’s equipment since Islamist rebels seized Damascus last Sunday, including air defence systems that may have been used to protect Iran against any attack.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addressed the “complex challenges” facing Syria and the broader region in a recent discussion, a recent report said. The report reflects the importance that Iran places on trying to find a way back to Damascus after the fall of the Assad regime.