TEHRAN - On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian reassured Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that his nation will maintain "its robust support" for Syria, emphasizing that Iran regards Syria's security and prosperity to be its own.

Amir Abdollahian met Assad in Damascus during his Saturday visit to Syria, which was the second stage of his regional tour that began in Lebanon.

The foreign minister expressed delight with the growing ties between Iran and Syria, underscoring the need of laying the groundwork for the long-term growth of such relationships.

Amir Abdollahian was also pleased with the development of Syria's connections with other nations, stressing that this demonstrated Syria's significant role in the region.

Iran constantly insists on diplomatic alternatives to military conflict, he remarked, adding the Islamic Republic thus supports “good improvements in Syria's political ties with other nations.” 

Amir Abdollahian also spoke with President Assad about the most recent advances in the nuclear talks intended to lift the illegitimate sanctions the West had placed on Iran.

President Assad also said Syria would never forget Iran’s support for his country.

He emphasized the significance of the upcoming visit to Syria by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

President Assad went into further detail about recent political and diplomatic events pertaining to Syria, highlighting the significance of ongoing negotiations and synergy between Tehran and Damascus over significant bilateral and regional problems.

He noted that Syria and the Islamic Republic of Iran are partners and that they would continue to help one another in various areas.

‘Ties with Syria are at their best’

Amir Abdollahian said that relations between the two countries are “at their best,” and authorities from both nations seek to elevate their economic and commercial connections to the level of political relationships.

He made the remarks during a joint news conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad.

The Iranian foreign minister announced that Damascus and Tehran are now carrying out agreements they previously struck, and he and his Syrian counterpart have agreed to prolong a long-term cooperation pact that “will be formalized in the near future.”

Amir Abdollahian emphasized that the two nations' collaboration will continue in all areas, particularly energy, noting that conversations had taken place about the development of a thermal power plant in Syria.

Amir Abdollahian stated that Ebrahim Raisi, the President of Iran, had been asked to visit Syria by President Assad, and that “I will put my all efforts into making this trip happen.”

The Iranian foreign minister also emphasized the importance of upholding national sovereignty and the integrity of countries, and he pledged that Iran will keep up its diplomatic efforts to mediate problems between Turkey and Syria.

Amir Abdollahian expressed delight that Tehran's contacts with Ankara and Damascus had resulted in negotiations between the two countries.

“Iran, Syria will boost collaboration to thwart Western sanctions”

Mekdad stated that Iran and Syria want to strengthen their economic and commercial ties in an effort to resist Western sanctions on both nations.

Speaking in a press conference, he lauded Iran for supporting Syria, adding, that the two countries want to deepen their economic and trade ties.

Mekdad said that in an effort to combat “illegal and unilateral sanctions” put in place by Western countries, they had discussed measures to increase bilateral cooperation in all areas, including the economy.

He praised Iran's friendship with Syria and urged the two countries to remove any barriers standing in the way of deepening their ties.

The senior Syrian diplomat stated that Palestine was discussed in his conversations with Amir Abdollahian, emphasizing that Syria and Iran support the Palestinian people and that the Israeli regime's hostility and violence toward the Palestinian people should terminate.

Turkey's military presence in northern Syria is ‘a form of occupation’

Mekdad made a reference to Israeli attacks on Syria over the past few years, which have persisted despite repeated warnings from Damascus.

“Syria won't forget the military assault, will reply to these atrocities at the appropriate moment, and will inflict huge casualties on the occupying troops of the Zionist regime that they will never forget,” he declared.

Mekdad also described Turkey's military presence in northern Syria as “a form of occupation” and said that Syria's independence and sovereignty should be recognized in any future political discussions between the two countries.

“Islamic world's top issues still Palestine, Al-Quds”

The senior Iranian diplomat met on Saturday night in Damascus with a number of government representatives and notable representatives of various Palestinian resistance factions.

In his meeting with officials of Palestinian groups, Amir Abdollahian emphasized that Palestine and the holy al-Quds are still the top concerns in the Islamic world.
Amir Abdollahian viewed the holding of such a meeting with representatives of the Palestinian resistance groups in the Syrian capital as a sign of great oneness in support of Palestine. 

He added that Palestine would remain the top concern of the Islamic world until the Palestinian government was established throughout the historical land of Palestine.

Amir Abdollahian asserted that the U.S. and its allies had employed many strategies against Palestine over the years and congratulated the Palestinian people and resistance organizations for thwarting their schemes.

The senior Iranian diplomat went on to say that "Operation Sword al-Quds revealed that the Resistance and Palestine are alive," adding that even the World Cup demonstrated that Palestine is still alive and that normalizing Arab-Israeli ties is not worthwhile.

“In occupied Palestine, changing names and faces does not change anything, but the officials of the Zionist regime move from one extremist to another, with its cause being the dense security and social crises in Israel,” Amir Abdollahian said in reference to the formation of a new government in the occupied Palestinian territories. 

He continued by saying that these fanatics will make the Palestinian nation and the Resistance more cohesive.

The Iranian foreign minister emphasized that the Resistance is in the best possible option while making reference to his most recent meetings with Hezbollah chief Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah and Islamic Jihad Secretary General and Ziad al-Nakhaleh.

In other parts of his remarks, Amir Abdollahian discussed current Western conspiracies against Iran and said that certain parties attempted to undermine Iran by exploiting recent riots through interventions, but that their schemes were thwarted by the wise people of Iran.