Syrian President Assad invites Zarif to visit Damascus

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has invited Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to visit Damascus.

The Syrian ambassador to Tehran conveyed the invitation to Zarif during a telephone conversation on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Zarif held a telephone conversation with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem to discuss the latest developments in bilateral ties and exchange views following Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s visit to Iran on Monday.

During his trip, Assad held talks with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani.

Ayatollah Khamenei said in the meeting that the Islamic Republic was honored to support Syria, which he said was equal to supporting the entire resistance front.

Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized that the triumph of the resistance front in Syria had made Americans angry and prompted them to hatch new plots, adding, “The issue of the buffer zone, which Americans seek to establish in Syria, is among those dangerous plots that must be categorically rejected and stood against.”

The Leader reiterated that the Islamic Republic of Iran would continue to stand by the Syrian nation, adding, “Through resistance and cooperation of its people, Syria managed to stand fast against a big coalition consisting of America, Europe and their allies in the region and emerge triumphant from this crisis.”

The Syrian president, for his part, lauded Iran’s unwavering support for his country, saying that the Syria war was similar to the eight-year Iraqi imposed war against Iran during the 1980s.

Rouhani said in his meeting with Assad that the Islamic Republic was ready to help Syria with its reconstruction plans and restore stability to the war-ravaged country.

SS