Syria's Assad dismisses Israel demands over Iran

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis

DAMASCUS (Reuters) - President Bashar al-Assad dismissed on Tuesday Israeli demands for Syria to abandon an alliance with Iran as a requirement for a peace deal.

Assad told British MPs that the Baath Party government intended to maintain its "normal relations" with Iran while it conducts indirect talks with Israel to regain the occupied Golan Heights, a source familiar with the meeting told Reuters.

Israeli officials have repeatedly said that the peace agreement depends on Syria distancing itself from Iran, and severing ties with Lebanon's Hezbollah movement and Palestinian group Hamas. The two organisations are also supported by Iran.

"The president said Syria has normal relations with Iran. He made it clear that any suggestion to drop them was not a reasonable request," the source said.

"He said if Israel could question Syria's relations with Iran then Syria could question Israel's ties with other countries, particularly the United States," the source added, referring to Israel's main ally.

The parliamentarians, including former home secretary and Labour party member Charles Clarke, are on a trip to Syria to hear first hand the country's take on the Middle East.

Syria and Israel said last week they were having indirect talks mediated by Turkey, the first confirmation since 2000, when talks collapsed over a proposed Israeli withdrawal from the Golan, a fertile plateau occupied by Israel four decades ago.

A week after the announcement, Syrian defence minister Hassan Turkmani visited Tehran to discuss closer military cooperation, Syrian government newspapers said.