Iran, Russia leaders oppose foreign action in Syria

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in telephone talks on Wednesday that they reject foreign intervention in the Syria crisis, the Kremlin said.The sides spoke out in favour of the quickest resolution of the crisis by the Syrian people themselves through exclusively peaceful means and without foreign intervention, the Kremlin said in a statement.The two leaders agreed that the situation in Syria was dramatic and required constructive political dialogue between the authorities and the opposition without precondition, said the statement.At the same time, the leaders noted the importance of pursuing steady political, social and economic reforms in a calm atmosphere and in the interest of all Syrians, the Kremlin said.Medvedev also held talks on Syria with Saudi Arabias King Abdullah, and with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, during which the two agreed on the need to prevent foreign intervention in Iraqs neighbour, a statement from the Iraqi premiers office said.The Kremlin said Medvedev sought to explain Russias decision this month to veto together with China a UN Security Council draft resolution condemning President Bashar al-Assad for 11 months of violence that the opposition says has claimed over 7,600 lives.But Saudi Arabias official SPA news agency said King Abdullah told Medvedev that his calls for Syrian dialogue were futile and that Russia should have coordinated with the Arabs... before using the veto.Russia and Iran have remained two of the Syrian governments closest international backers throughout the bloodshed.And Iraq has shied away from punitive measures against Assads regime, abstaining from both a vote to suspend Syria from the Arab League, and another to impose sanctions on Damascus.