Iran announced on Monday that it plans to keep its military advisers in Syria, even after rebels took control of Aleppo, the second-largest city in Syria, in a surprise attack.

The Kremlin also expressed continued support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, despite the recent loss of territory to rebels.

Since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, Iran has supported President Assad and stated that its military advisers are in Syria at the request of the Syrian government.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaeil, said, “We entered Syria many years ago at the official invitation of the Syrian government when the Syrian people faced the threat of terrorism.”

He confirmed that Iranian military advisers are still in Syria and will stay there “according to the wishes” of the Syrian government. Baqaeil did not mention whether Iran would increase its forces following the rebel offensive.

These comments came a day after Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, visited President Assad in Damascus to express support.

Aleppo fell to a rebel alliance dominated by Islamists last week, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin reiterated its support for Assad, saying it is closely monitoring the situation.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated, “We continue to support Bashar al-Assad and are analyzing the situation.” He added that Russia would determine the necessary actions to stabilize the situation.