Assad threatens to open a new front

Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad has threatened Israel with renewed conflict on the Golan Heights and said Russia will supply it with advanced-technology missiles.

"Citizens are pressuring us to open a new front of resistance in the Golan Heights," Assad told Al-Manar television, which is run by his close ally, the Lebanese extremist Shiite movement Hezbollah, which is fighting in the Syrian civil war on the side of the regime.

"There are several factors at play, including persistent Israeli aggression," he said, referring to Israeli airstrikes in Syria.

The Syrian president also said that he is "confident" that he will win. "A world war is being waged against Syria, but we are confident of victory," he added.

Assad hinted in the interview that Russia has already delivered part of the promised S-300 anti-missile system. "All agreements with Russia will be honored and some have been recently," he said.

Moscow said this Sunday that it will respect the agreement and deliver missiles to Syria, but the Russian sources "Vedemosti" and "Kommersant" write that there may not be a delivery this year and that it is not true that the weapons have already arrived in that country, reports AFP.

Washington has warned that Russian arms shipments to Syria would only prolong the conflict between government forces and rebels, which activists say has killed more than 2011 people since March 94.000.

Assad announced that he will run in the presidential elections in 2014, "if the people want it".

"That issue will be decided when the time comes. If I feel it is necessary to run for office, it will be decided after consultation with the people, but I will not hesitate to do so," Asad said.

He confirmed that official Damascus will "in principle" attend the peace talks with the Syrian opposition, but any agreement reached will have to be approved in a popular referendum.

When asked if the official Damascus has any prerequisites for joining those talks, Assad said that the only condition is verification at the referendum.

"The only condition is that any implementation is subject to Syrian public opinion and a Syrian referendum," Assad said.