Rebels fighting government forces in Syria's commercial capital Aleppo "will definitely be defeated," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said on an unannounced visit to key ally Iran on Sunday.

"We believe that all the anti-Syrian forces have gathered in Aleppo to fight the government... and they will definitely be defeated," he told a joint news conference in Tehran with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi.

Speaker Nabih Berri slammed on Thursday the “terrorist” bombing that targeted top Syrian security officials on Wednesday, saying that Syria will overcome its crisis and achieve peace.

He said in a statement: “The terrorist act is no doubt aimed at targeting the Syrian leadership in order to fragment the Syrian army, which acts as a guarantee for the country’s unity.”

Syrian President Bashar Assad issued a decree on Saturday forming a new government, state television said, less than two months after controversial parliamentary elections boycotted by the opposition.

"President Bashar Assad has issued Decree 210 forming a new government under prime minister Dr Riad Hijab," the television said.

Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali stated on Tuesday that the discovery of the Lutfallah II ship that was smuggling arms to Syria was among the factors that prompted the Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations Bashar al-Jaafari to send a letter to U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon complaining about Lebanon’s alleged harboring of “terrorist elements.”

Ali stated after holding talks with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour: “Jaafari’s letter is based on facts on the ground in Lebanon.”

China said Wednesday Syria's foreign minister had pledged to respect U.N. envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan and cooperate with a U.N. team sent to monitor a fragile ceasefire in the restive state.

"Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem... said Syria would continue to... respect and implement Annan's 'six-point proposal'," China's foreign ministry quoted Muallem as telling his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi in Beijing.

Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour telephoned on Friday his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Muallem to discuss the developments in Syria, reported the National News Agency.

Mansour said that Muallem had informed him of the “positive conditions that are returning the situation in Syria back to normal.”

The U.N. humanitarian chief started a mission to Syria on Wednesday to urge the regime to allow aid into battered protest cities, putting the focus on civilians in a conflict which has cost thousands of lives.

Valerie Amos flew in for a two-day visit, after an international outcry over President Bashar al-Assad's previous refusal to let her in, and is to followed by U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan on Saturday.

Syria said on Tuesday it will spurn further Arab efforts to resolve its political crisis, as Gulf states piled on pressure by deciding to pull out their observers and urging strong U.N. action.

The Arab League said its monitors would be confined to base from Wednesday unless Damascus gives its approval for the mission to continue for a second month after an informal extension ran out.

Turkey urged Syrian President Bashar Assad on Friday to punish the "murderers" of anti-regime protesters and accept observers proposed by the Arab League.

"If he (Assad) is now sincere, he will immediately punish the murderers and accept Arab League observers. He still has such an opportunity," Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters.

Seven Lebanese men on Tuesday denounced Syria's authorities for what they said was false usage of footage filmed in 2008 to prove "terrorist" involvement in unrest rocking Syria.

The seven men at a press conference in Tripoli's impoverished Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhood showed what they said was the original video they had shot and posted on Facebook, and identified themselves one by one.