Iran 'Confident' Syrian Regime Will Respect Truce

Syrian President Bashar Assad's main regional ally Iran said Wednesday that it was confident his regime would respect a planned ceasefire brokered by Moscow and Washington.

"From the start of the crisis in Syria, Iran has always insisted on a ceasefire," Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said, quoted by the official news agency IRNA.

"We have confidence in the commitment of the Syrian government to respect the ceasefire, but it is unclear whether armed groups linked to known terrorist groups will respect it," he said.

President Hassan Rouhani spoke by telephone to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday and said that "the ceasefire must not be a chance for terrorist groups to regroup", according to Rouhani's office.

"Syria's borders need controlling to prevent the coming and going of terrorists and financial and military aid arriving for these groups," Rouhani was quoted as saying.

Iran provides financial and military support to Assad, notably sending "military advisers" and "volunteers" to fight alongside the Syrian army.

Syria's regime has agreed to the "cessation of hostilities", due to take effect at midnight (2200 GMT) Friday, while vowing to keep fighting jihadists and other "terrorists".

The opposition has also given conditional approval to the deal, announced on Monday by the United States and Russia.

But the agreement does not apply to the Islamic State jihadist group and Al-Qaida-affiliated Al-Nusra Front and many analysts are skeptical about its chances of success.