BEIRUT: A senior Iranian official criticized Syria in remarks published Monday, warning that Damascus' close ties with Tehran could be damaged if it reached a full-fledged peace deal with Israel. "Deep changes will affect the nature of Iranian-Syrian relations if Damascus signs a peace agreement with and recognizes Israel," Saudi-owned daily Asharq al-Awsat quoted Hussein Shariatmadari, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as saying in an interview.

"Iran does not recognize a state called Israel in the region and would not be pleased ... for an Islamic country like Syria or Turkey to negotiate with her," added Shariatmadari.

He acknowledged that his comments were based on his "personal opinion," but also argued that this was supported by a majority of the public in the Islamic Republic.

Shariatmadari also drew a line between Syria's talks with Israel, brokered by Turkey, and those conducted by Hamas and Hizbullah, respectively via Egypt and a German mediator appointed by the UN. Hamas was seeking a cease-fire, he noted, while Hizbullah was arranging an exchange of prisoners and bodies, both of which were "completely different" than the peace pact possibly to be concluded between Syria and Israel.

The Syrian and Israeli governments announced in May that they had resumed negotiations after an eight-year hiatus. The last round of negotiations broke down over Israel's refusal to return all of the Golan Heights, occupied during the 1967 war. - The Daily Star

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