Iran slams world 'passivity' over Kobane in Syria

TEHRAN - Agence France-Presse

Militants stand next to a black ISIL flag atop a hill in at the eastern part of Kobane, Oct. 7. AFP Photo

Iran criticised the "passivity of the international community" Oct. 7 regarding the besieged Syrian border town of Kobane and said the world should help President Bashar al-Assad confront "the terrorists."

The comments by foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkhan came shortly after Turkey's president said Kobane was on the verge of falling to jihadists fighting for the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

There is a "need to support the Syrian government's fight against the terrorists", she said, according to the official IRNA news agency.

Afkhan warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in Kobane and said Iran was sending aid to try to alleviate the "dire" situation for people there.

But her remarks underlined the gulf between Iran and the West over Syria - Tehran supports Assad, while the United States and other world powers have demanded regime change in Damascus.

The Irani statement came as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for a ground operation there to defeat ISIL.

Turkey's parliament last week authorised the government to take military action against ISIL, but no plans to conduct operations have yet been announced.