Heavy clashes have broken out in Aleppo as the evacuation of rebel-held districts was delayed by what opposition groups say is Iran’s demand to impose new conditions.

• Reports says buses meant to evacuate people return empty
• Turkey blames Syria for obstructing evacuations

ABC, Dec. 14, 2016 – Iran, one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s main backers in the battle for Aleppo, wanted a simultaneous evacuation of injured people from the villages of Foua and Kefraya that are besieged by rebels, according to rebel and UN sources.
A pro-opposition TV station said the planned evacuation could now be delayed until Thursday.
A ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey was intended to end years of fighting in the city.
But shelling and gunfire erupted Wednesday morning and a monitoring group said the truce appeared to have collapsed.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused Syrian government forces of breaking the ceasefire deal, but said Turkey was still making efforts to create a corridor to evacuate people from the Syrian city.
Mr Erdogan said he would speak later by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the situation in Aleppo, which he described as “very fragile”.
Officials in the military alliance fighting in support of Assad could not be reached immediately for comment on why the evacuation was delayed.
Turkey blamed Syrian government forces and other groups for trying to obstruct the evacuation deal and said there would be more talks with Russia and Iran.
Rebel sources said it was Iran causing the hold-up.
“What is stopping the agreement presently is Iranian obstinacy,” a commander with the rebel Nour al-Din al-Zinki group said from eastern Aleppo.