South Front
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi. Source: the Syrian Presidency Office.
On April 3, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi arrived in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on an official visit and met with President Bashar al-Assad.
The visit is the first by an Iranian head of state since war broke out in Syria more than a decade ago. The last Iranian president to visit Syria was President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2010.
Thanks to the political, economic and military support provided by both Iran and Russia, the Damascus government was able to make a stand against Western-backed rebels and regained control of much of Syria territory.
Speaking to the Al-Mayadeen TV before heading to Syria, Raisi said the visit would “consolidate and develop” ties with Damascus and other allies, including Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
Raisi’s deputy for political affairs, Mohammad Jamshidi, told the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency prior to departure that the visit is a sign of “the Islamic Republic of Iran’s strategic victory in the region”.
Syrian state media reported that “a number of agreements” would be signed during the official visit, which will go on for two days.
Raisi, who is leading a high-ranking political and economic delegation, was received on arrival at Damascus International Airport by Syrian Economy Minister Samer al-Khalil. Later, he was received by al-Assad in the Republican Palace.
“Syria’s government and people have gone through great hardship,” Syrian state media quoted Raisi telling al-Assad during the meeting. “Today, we can now say that you have overcome all these problems and were victorious despite the threats and sanctions imposed against you.”
From his side, al-Assad said that Syrian-Iranian relations were rich with “content,” “experiences” and visions,” adding that the relations remained stable despite all “fierce political and security storms” that had struck the Middle East.
During his visit, Raisi is set to visit the Sayida Zeinab and Sayida Ruqayya shrines, both holy sites in Shiite Islam, as well as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a monument dedicated to Syrian soldiers killed in battle.
The visit of the Iranian president came following a rapprochement between Syria and several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia who restored relations with Iran earlier this year. It also came amid a normalization process between Damascus and Ankara that is sponsored by both Moscow and Tehran.
Raisi’s meeting with al-Assad in Damascus sends a strong message to both Israel and the United States, who have been attempting to push Iran out of Syria since the start of the war.
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