Exclusive-Iran in direct contact with groups in new Syrian leadership, Iranian official says

DUBAI -Iran has opened a direct line of communication with rebels in Syria's new leadership since its ally Bashar al-Assad was ousted, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday, in an attempt to "prevent a hostile trajectory" between the countries.

The lightning advance of a militia alliance spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former al-Qaeda affiliate, marked one of the biggest turning points for the Middle East in generations. Assad's fall as president removed a bastion from which Iran and Russia exercised influence across the Arab world.

The senior official said Iran's clerical rulers, facing the loss of an important ally in Damascus and the return of Donald Trump to the white House in January, were open to engaging with Syria's new leaders.

"This engagement is key to stabilise ties and avoiding further regional tensions," he said.

(Writing by Parisa Hafezi, Editing by Ed Osmond and Timothy Heritage)