Senior Iranian lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi says Syria must be defended against US meddling and Damascus must be helped to end the unrest in the country.

“Having lost Egypt [following the Egyptian revolution], the US is now targeting Syria,” IRNA quoted head of the Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Boroujerdi as saying.

Boroujerdi made the remarks in a meeting with Arab League Secretary-General Nabil al-Arabi in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.

“The US aims to defeat the resistance in order to achieve its objectives and the [objectives of the] Zionist regime [of Israel]. [Therefore] Syria must be helped to end the unrest in the country,” the Iranian lawmaker added.

Syria has been experiencing unrest in the past months, with demonstrations held both against and in support of the government.

Hundreds of people, including security forces, have been killed during clashes in the country since the beginning of the unrest in mid-March.

The Syrian opposition claims security forces are behind the killings, but the government blames the deadly violence on foreign-backed armed gangs.

Meanwhile, political analysts say the recent decisions by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait to recall their ambassadors from Damascus could be interpreted as a prelude to foreign intervention in Syria.