Iran has also welcomed the Russian proposal to put plans for a US military strike against Syria on hold if the country agrees to place its chemical weapons stockpile under international control.

The idea Syria could avoid military intervention by securing a deal to destroy the regime's chemical weapons was first voiced by US Secretary of State, John Kerry, at a Monday press briefing in London.

It was backed in a TV interview by President, Barack Obama, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later informed he has presented the proposal during talks with his Syrian counterpart, Walid Muallem.

Muallem told reporters that Syria welcomed the initiative, and he praised Russia for "attempting to prevent American aggression against our people."

"The Islamic republic of Iran favorably welcomes the (Russian) initiative which aims at halting all military action" against Syria, Iran's foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afgham said Tuesday at a briefing in Tehran.

Iran is Syria's main regional ally and has repeatedly warned that any US-led strikes against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad could ignite the entire Middle East.

The US accuses President Assad's forces of killing 1 429 people in a chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburbs on August 21.