Syrian opposition figures said Tuesday that President Bashar al-Assad's speech "brought nothing new" to solve the months-old crisis, stressing that the tone of the speech was "challenging."

"The speech neither solved the crisis, nor mitigate its impact, " Hasan Abdul-Azim, head of the opposition National Coordination Council, told Xinhua Tuesday.

"The speech's tone was challenging," he said, adding that "it contained no turning point as he (Assad) is still insisting on the necessity of continuing the security handling of the crisis."

"The speech contains theoretical views without practical steps, " he exclaimed, adding that "the president is still dealing with the crisis as a foreign conspiracy."

In his fourth national address since unrest began in March last year, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday vowed to fight " terrorists" in his country with "iron fist," saying that the " terrorists" are working to pave the way for foreign interventions.

Assad said he would not give up responsibility so long as he still has the support of his people.

Standing before a crowd of supporters in Damascus University, in dark suit and tie, Assad said the ten-month-old events that wracked Syria has "blooded the heart of every Syrian and imposed circumstances that pose a serious test for us in nationalism."

Assad said it's no longer possible for some regional and international parties who want to destabilize Syria to fraud facts and events, adding that hundreds of world media have worked against Syria "to push us to a state of collapse but they failed."

He said Syria is facing an unprecedented battle, and that victory is imminent thanks to the Syrian people's steadfastness and patience.

Assad said his country will not close doors to any Arab solution respecting the Syrian sovereignty and the independence of the country's decision, adding he was the one to suggest the need for Arab monitors to find out the truth in Syria.

He stressed that the conspiracy would end "once the Syrian people decided to be a subjugating people and give up their national stances," adding that the conspiracy would actually end " when the supply of funds and weapons stops."

Meanwhile, Mohammad Manjuna, an Aleppo-based opponent, criticized Assad's speech, saying that "It haven't touched any real handling of the depth of the Syrian crisis."

During a phone interview with Xinhua, Manjuna suggested that " the effective solution to the crisis should stop the protest movement," stressing that "the regime in Syria is still resorting to the security handling instead of finding a political solution."

For his side, Louai Hussian, founder of the opposing Tayyar Binaa Souria, said that the reform which the president was talking about is "rejected out of hand," stressing on the necessity of implementing "radical reforms in the structure of state."

"I haven't heard any proposal or action that would be conducive in solving the ten-month-old crisis," he said, adding that the speech has focused on constitutional and legal reforms.

Hussain pointed that "talking about a foreign conspiracy is the logic of the Syrian leadership," stressing rejection to what he described as "the authority account of the recent events in Syria. "

He called on the Syrian government to reveal those who stand behind the armed groups in Syria in order to "give details and convince the others of this account."

The Turkey-based Syrian National Council (SNC), an opposition umbrella, regarded Assad's speech as "a call for continued violence against the Syrian people."

Burhan Ghalioun, head of the SNC, stressed that his council response to the speech is by carrying on with "peaceful protest movement," calling on the Arab states and the international community to practice more pressure to take the Syrian file to the UN Security Council.

Meanwhile, Qadri Jamil, a moderate opponent, told Xinhua the most important part of the speech is the consensus between us and the leadership on forming a new national unity government.

In his Tuesday's appearance, Assad said the opposition is an " institutional case which means a popular base that would appear in the elections."

He said Syria seeks to establish a broad government that included a mixture of politicians and technicians and represents all spectra of society.

"We are at the threshold of changes, a great part of them focus on the youth generation that has confronted this crisis," he said.

"Restoring security is the ultimate priority for Syria at this stage," Assad said.