Report: Iran hedging Syrian bets

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TEHRAN, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- A report from a Western embassy in Tehran said the Iranian government may be hedging its bets regarding the Syrian government of Bashar Assad.

A Thursday report from al-Arabiya cites an embassy report from an unnamed government with a diplomatic presence in Tehran that said the Iranian government will support Assad until its own presidential elections in June.

"Iran is trying to find other solutions so that Hezbollah would be able to get Iran's support even after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime," the report read. "Iran is now establishing some connections with Syrian opposition's figures without the knowledge of the Syrian regime as it doesn't want to give the impression that it has abandoned Assad regime."

Al-Arabiya adds that Tehran is growing frustrated with the conflict but states the report offered few specifics on what advice the Iranian government is offerings its allies in Damascus.

Fighting in Syria is encroaching on Damascus as the conflict moves closer to its 20th month. A report from Human Rights Watch this week accused the Syrian government of using illegal cluster bombs against the civilian population in a town near the Syrian capital.

The rights group reported Thursday that anti-government forces, meanwhile, are using child soldiers against the Syrian military.