Iranian FM to discuss Syrian crisis in upcoming visit to Jordan

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi is slated to pay a visit to Jordan soon to discuss the latest developments in Syria with Jordanian officials, a senior diplomat announced on Sunday. "Given the Islamic Republic of Iran's rotating presidency over the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the need for continued consultations and utilization of regional capacities for the settlement of the current crisis in Syria through a political solution and national Syrian-Syrian talks, the Iranian foreign minister will depart for the Jordanian capital, Amman, soon," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast announced today. "Given the outstanding roles of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Jordan, Salehi will meet senior Jordanian officials during his two-day visit to Amman to discuss a new round of constructive and coordinated efforts by influential regional states to help Syria come out of the current crisis," he added. In a new round of hostilities, Israel embarked on striking Syria twice this week, including a lethal missile attack this morning, and Syrian officials are due to convene in an urgent cabinet meeting later today to discuss a possible response to the attacks. Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi and his ministers will convene later today to study the latest information on the recent Israeli aggression and the potential response to Tel Aviv's hostile move, the Arabic-language al-Manar TV reported. Explosions shook Damascus early on Sunday and Syrian state television said Israeli rockets had struck a military research center on the outskirts of the capital. The blasts occurred a day after an Israeli official said Tel Aviv had carried out an air strike targeting a consignment of missiles in Syria. The research center hit on Sunday was also targeted by Israel in January. "The new Israeli attack is an attempt to raise the morale of the terrorist groups which have been reeling from strikes by our noble army," Syrian television said, referring to recent offensives by President Bashar al-Assad's forces against rebels. There was no immediate comment from Israeli officials on Sunday's explosions. Late in January, the Syrian Army said in a statement that two people were killed and five others injured in the Israeli air strike on a scientific center in Jamraya, 25 kilometers (15 miles) Northwest of the capital Damascus. Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011 with organized attacks by well-armed gangs against Syrian police forces and border guards being reported across the country. Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed, when some protest rallies turned into armed clashes. The government blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorist groups for the deaths, stressing that the unrest is being orchestrated from abroad. In October 2011, calm was almost restored in the Arab state after President Assad started a reform initiative in the country, but Israel, the US and its Arab allies sought hard to bring the country into chaos through any possible means. Tel Aviv, Washington and some Arab capitals have been staging various plots to topple President Bashar al-Assad, who is well known in the world for his anti-Israeli stances.