TEHRAN -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei says Iran’s advisory work in Syria was aimed at supporting the Syrian army, combating terrorism, and preventing insecurity from spreading to the broader region.
The decision to withdraw Iranian advisors was also a responsible move, considering the prevailing conditions in Syria and the region, Baghaei added.
His remarks came after Russian President Vladimir Putin, during his annual press conference on Friday, touched on the role of “certain Iran-aligned combat units” in Syria. 
“When opposition groups approached Aleppo, approximately 30,000 troops were defending the city. Around 350 militants entered the city. Syrian government forces, alongside Iranian-aligned units, retreated without resistance, detonating their positions as they withdrew,” he said.
“Previously, our Iranian allies would request assistance to deploy their forces into Syria. Now, they are asking for help to withdraw them. We evacuated 4,000 Iranian fighters from the Hmeimim base to Tehran. Some Iranian-aligned units, avoiding direct engagement, relocated to Lebanon, while others moved to Iraq.”
Responding to the remarks, Baghaei said, “It is not unusual for parties involved in Syria’s developments to present their own narratives about the causes and actors behind these events.”
“However, it seems that some of the comments made regarding Iran’s advisory role in Syria during the final days leading to Damascus’s fall may not have been based on precise information,” he added.
Baghaei said Iran entered Syria at the invitation of its legitimate government.
“Iran and Syria have had effective cooperation over the years in combating terrorism, successfully preventing the dangerous spread of Daesh in Syria and Iraq, as well as curbing terrorism in the region.
“Following the fall of Daesh, Iran’s military presence on Syria’s defensive lines shifted. It became limited to providing advisory assistance aimed at preventing the resurgence of Daesh and takfiri terrorism while strengthening Syria’s military capabilities against the Zionist regime’s provocations.
“This approach proved successful. As witnessed, immediately after the withdrawal of Iranian advisory forces, the occupying regime seized strategic parts of Syrian territory and destroyed critical defensive infrastructure in the country,” he said.
Baghaei also pointed to Iranian nationals evacuated from Syria. 
“These individuals included the families of diplomats, staff from Iran’s diplomatic, consular, and cultural missions in Syria, Iranian pilgrims, some non-Iranian pilgrims, and others who had traveled