Iran acknowledges protesters 'legitimate demands'

The Foreign Minister of Syria’s closest ally Iran has said that the "government should answer to the demands of its people". It was an unexpected move by Iran causing some commentators to suggest that the Syrian Government is now in dire straits, having lost the support of its closest ally. The comments did not, however, call for President Assad to step down. The remarks, whilst being a major change in public discourse, are not life threatening given the Syrian Government’s own public commitment to introduce reforms.