Syria: Iran's Khamenei issues fatwa to buy Syrian goods

Tehran, 2 Dec. (AKI) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called on Muslims to purchase Syrian products as a way to lend support amid an embargo imposed by members of the Arab League, and other countries, according to former Iranian ambassador to Turkey Nidal Qabalan.

"After his fatwa Iran is buying all Syrian productions without exception," he says in a message posted on his Facebook page.

The United Nations on Thursday says the uprising in Syria has become a civil war and has caused 4,000 deaths since anti-government protests started in March.

A news report on Thursday by Kuwaiti daily al-Seyassah said dozens of officials from North Korea and Iran have conducted meetings with representatives of the Syrian government in Damascus to help president Bashar al-Assad obtain weapons following the implementation of sanctions by members of the Arab League and other countries.

The meetings have been taking place in recent days, and were attended by experts in the production of rockets, according to Kuwaiti daily al-Seyassah, citing unnamed intelligence sources.