Iran, Russia discuss Syrian crisis

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed the mounting pressures on Syria and agreed to step up efforts to prevent any military action against Syria, Press TV reported Thursday.

In a telephone conversation late Wednesday, the two presidents stressed that any use of military force against another country without a mandate from the UN is a blatant violation of international law, Xinhua reported.

Putin and Rouhani also emphasised that the Syrian crisis must be resolved only through diplomatic means, according to the report.

Iran and Russia, as the main supporters of Damascus regime, have strongly opposed any move which might escalate tension in Syria.

Five permanent members of the UN Security Council met Wednesday to discuss a British proposal for a draft resolution in response to the alleged chemical weapon attack on civilians in Syria last week.