On a visit to Iran, Bashar al-Assad receives strong support from Ali Khamenei
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right, and Syrian President Bashar Al Assad shake hands at the start of their meeting, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, May 8, 2022. © ©Photo published by the site official of the office of the Iranian Supreme Leader
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Aiming in particular at the United States, the Iranian Supreme Guide reaffirmed his desire to “
liberate Syrian territory from foreign occupiers
”.
During the visit of the Syrian president, he also attacked the leaders of Arab countries who frequent the Israeli regime.
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The Syrian President's last visit to Iran dates back to February 2019. It was in the greatest secrecy, reports our correspondent in Tehran,
Siavosh Ghazi
, that Bashar al-Assad met with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei this Sunday.
Iranian television disclosed the information only after he returned to Syria.
Relations between Tehran and Damascus "
are vital
" and "
we must not let them weaken, but on the contrary we must strengthen them as much as possible
", declared Ayatollah Khamenei, according to a press release published on his site.
"Free Syria from the occupiers"
Main regional ally of Damascus, Iran financially supports the power of Bashar el-Assad and has sent thousands of "
volunteers
" supervised by members of the Revolutionary Guards, the Iranian ideological army, to fight alongside the regime. Syrian, at war with rebels and jihadists.
"
The entire Syrian territory must be liberated from foreign occupiers
", added the Iranian supreme guide, without giving details, while the international coalition led by the United States and created to fight the jihadists in 2014 still has forces in Syria.
President Assad for his part stressed "
the importance of continued cooperation in the face of attempts by the United States to stir up instability in the region
", the Syrian presidency said in a statement.
► To read also: Bashar al-Assad's visit to the United Arab Emirates, a first since 2011
Israel's allies in the sights
The visit comes as Russia, which also supports President Assad's regime, is embroiled in war in Ukraine.
It also intervenes when
Israel regularly carries out strikes in Syria
, in particular against Iranian positions in this country.
Ali Khamenei also denounced the rapprochement of certain Arab countries with Israel.
“
While leaders of neighboring countries socialize with those of the Zionist regime and drink coffee with them, the people of these countries take to the streets and chant anti-Zionist slogans.
»
(
And with
AFP)
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Syria
Bashar al-Assad
Ali Khamenei
Iran
Israel