TEHRAN - Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said the US and Israel plot to trigger a sectarian war in Syria has failed, the local satellite Press TV reported on Monday.

"A plan by the American-Zionism axis aimed at creating a sectarian war in Syria is defeated," Amirabdollahian was quoted as saying.

He called on "the people of Syria (to) pursue their legitimate demands through democratic way and believe in the reforms plan of (President) Bashar al-Assad," said the report.

The Syrian nation is proud of its "presence in the front line of resistance and support of the oppressed people of Palestine," he added.

On Saturday, Iran's Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi warned against "dire consequences of change in Syria's government."

Syria has highly-sensitive neighbors and therefore (any) change in Syria will not bring good influence to anyone and can create a serious regional crisis which could spread beyond the region, Salehi has said.

Syria has been in unrest since mid-March when anti-government protests broke out in the southern province of Daraa and spread to other cities.

The Syrian authorities blamed the unrest on "armed groups and foreign conspiracy," and stressed that it would track down gunmen who have intimidated the people and damaged public and private properties.