TEHRAN – An Iranian father and son, stranded in Syria following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government, have been safely returned to Iran with Russian assistance.

Ali Akbar Abutaleb Esfahani and his son, who had been on a pilgrimage to Shiite holy sites, were caught in the turmoil after opposition groups took control of Damascus. 

The pair were initially transported to Russia’s Hmeimim airbase in Latakia before being flown to Moscow. Following coordination between Russian and Iranian diplomatic and security agencies, they were then able to return to Tehran. 

Their return comes after a video of them being subjected to verbal abuse and insults for their nationality and faith in Syria went viral earlier this month. The attackers have not been identified but are believed to be linked to extremist groups based in the Arab country.