New York: The Obama administration moved on Friday to rally Syria’s opposition with pledges of $45 million (Dh165 million) in new non-lethal and humanitarian assistance as the administration and other world leaders lamented the failure of diplomatic efforts to push Syrian President Bashar Al Assad from power.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the US would contribute an additional $15 million in non-lethal gear — mostly communications equipment — to the civilian opposition trying to force out Al Assad as well as $30 million in new humanitarian assistance to help those affected by the continuing violence.

She also delivered a new, stark warning to Iran that it must stop arming and supporting the Al Assad regime.

“It is no secret that our attempts to move forward at the UN Security Council have been blocked repeatedly, but the United States is not waiting,” Clinton said as she announced the new aid at a gathering of the Friends of Syria group that she hosted at a New York hotel on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. She and other foreign ministers from the group met with nine Syrian opposition figures, including several who travelled from Syria to attend Friday’s session, to discuss strategy.

With UN action blocked by Russia and China, Clinton said the rest of the world must support the Syrian opposition. She also said it was urgent that the fractured foes of the regime unite around plans for a political transition that could put an end to more than three decades of Al Assad family rule. Activists say the current 18-month long conflict has led to more than 30,000 deaths.

“Conditions in Syria continue to deteriorate as the [Al] Assad regime relentlessly wages war on its own people,” Clinton said. “We see more bodies filling hospitals and morgues and we see more refugees fleeing their homeland and flooding into neighbouring countries. The regime of Bashar Al Assad must come to an end so that the suffering of the Syrian people can stop and a new dawn can begin.”

New intelligence

In Washington, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said new intelligence suggested the Syrian government has moved some of its chemical weapons in order to protect them, even though the US believes that the main sites remain secure.

The new US humanitarian assistance — which brings America’s total humanitarian contribution to more than $130 million since the crisis began — will include food, water, blankets and medical services to victims of the violence. US officials said on Thursday that an earlier shipment of medical goods provided by USAid had just arrived in southern Syria. The officials would not provide details of how the aid made it into Syrian territory.

The additional non-lethal support brings the total US contribution in that area to nearly $40 million since the crisis began and includes 1,100 sets of communications equipment, including satellite-linked computers, telephones and cameras and training for more than 1,000 activists, students and independent journalists.

“We are working to help them strengthen their networks, avoid regime persecution and document human rights abuses,” Clinton said. The US is not providing military aid to the rebels although it acknowledges that other countries are.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused the US and other countries of encouraging terrorism in their stance on Syria.

However, Clinton told the meeting that the greatest threat to Syria, other than the Al Assad regime itself was Iran.

“Let’s be very frank here,” she said. “The regime’s most important lifeline is Iran.”

“There is no longer any doubt that Tehran will do whatever it takes to protect its proxy and crony in Damascus. Iran will do everything it can to evade international sanctions,” Clinton said.

She urged Syria’s neighbours to take extra steps to ensure that Iran is not smuggling weapons and material into Syria through their airspace or territory.