Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei has dismissed reports of the evacuation of the Islamic Republic’s Embassy staff in Syria.

According to The Iran Project, Baghaei said on Saturday that reports on the evacuation of the Iranian Embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus are untrue and the diplomatic mission is continuing with its activities as before.

Reports on Friday said that Iran had begun evacuating its diplomatic staff and their families earlier in the day amid fighting in Syria where government forces are battling terrorist groups.