President Bashar al-Assad said Syrian rebels would not be victorious in their fight against his government although the "door to dialogue remains open".
Mr Assad made his comments to the Egyptian weekly magazine Al-Ahram Al-Araby, which was published today.
He said: "The armed groups exercise terrorism against the state. They are not popular within society ... they will not be victorious in the end."
At least 54 people were killed when an air strike hit a fuel station in Syria's northern province of al-Raqqa yesterday.
Activists say more than 27,000 people have been killed in the 18-month-old conflict.
Speaking from his office in Damascus, Mr Assad said: "Change cannot be achieved through foreign intervention.
"Both sides of the equation are equal and political dialogue is the only solution.
"Violence, however, is not allowed ... and the state will not stand with its hands tied in the face of those who bear arms against it."
International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi met Mr Assad on Saturday in his first visit to Damascus as peace envoy.
Mr Brahimi said his visit confirmed that the situation was "extremely dangerous and escalating".
Mr Assad said he was neither optimistic nor pessimistic about Mr Brahimi's mission.
"I welcome dialogue with the national opposition but those who choose arms have put themselves in confrontation with the Syrian Arab army," said Mr Assad, who admitted there was corruption and mistakes had been made.
