Syrian state TV on Tuesday broadcast a meeting in Damascus between Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad and head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili.

Jalili said Iran believes in a solution based on national dialogue among all Syrian groups to settle the country’s issues, and believes that foreign solutions are not helpful. Jalili’s viewpoint was seconded by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in South Africa on Tuesday. Clinton said the Syrian crisis must not be allowed to slide into sectarian warfare and warned against “terrorist fighters” being sent to join the conflict. She called on the international community to promptly work together for a successful political transition in Syria.

In a related development, a representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Iraq said more than 22,000 Iraqis have fled the violence in Syria in less than three weeks. The official said more than 100,000 Syrians have registered for asylum in Turkey and Lebanon.