Iran proposes Syria 'transition' under Assad

A senior official on Monday said Iran proposed to peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi a "transitional period" for Syria ahead of elections to be held under President Bashar al-Assad's supervision. "We proposed a halt to the violence and a truce, stopping supplying weapons and backing for armed terrorist groups and a national dialogue between the opposition and government," Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdolahian told Arabic-language Al-Alam television. He said Tehran had proposed a "transitional period leading to the holding of presidential and legislative elections... all of which will be carried out under the supervision of President Assad." Iran -- a key Assad ally -- delivered its proposal to UN and Arab League envoy Brahimi and also to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, Abdolahian said, adding that Syria has "consented" to it. On Sunday, Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Tehran had "handed its unofficial detailed proposal in writing aimed at solving the Syrian crisis." Brahimi, visiting Iran on Sunday, told a joint news conference he hoped Tehran's proposal would help end the conflict. "I thank you for the proposals and as I told you there are some ideas in your proposals which can help by adding to that forwarded by other nations who are also important with regards to the Syrian situation," he said. "We hope all these ideas gather into a project to put an end to the Syrian people's nightmare." Brahimi also met President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who repeated his government's offer of help to solve the crisis. Iran, which wants a political solution to the conflict in Syria, says it supports Brahimi's peace efforts. More than 33,000 people have been killed in Syria since the uprising against Assad's rule erupted in March last year, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.