Iran’s Velayati in Damascus for Talks with Syrian Officials

According to a report carried by Syria’s official SANA news agency on Sunday, Veleyati, who also heads the Strategic Research Center of Iran’s Expediency Council, is scheduled to discuss various bilateral and regional issues during his visit to the war-torn country.

Earlier, the senior Iranian official pledged Tehran’s unwavering support for Damascus, saying that the Islamic Republic will side with Syrians until their “final victory” against foreign-backed militants.

“Since the Islamic Revolution (in 1979), Iran and Syria have always stood by and helped each other to reach their common goals,” Velayati said in a meeting with a group of Syrian medical, cultural and social experts in Tehran on Thursday.

“Today, the Syrian government and people are facing numerous problems which have been unprecedented in the history of the region,” he said, adding that Syrians have resisted against a joint plot by some regional and Western countries for about five years with fortitude and strength.

Velayati further pointed to the coalition of Iran, Russia, Syria and Iraq against terrorist groups like ISIL (also known as Daesh), and said the alliance is unrivaled in the contemporary history.

Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with Takfiri terrorists from various groups, including the ISIL, currently controlling parts of it.

According to the United Nations, more than 250,000 people have been killed and one million wounded during the conflict.

In the meantime, Iran has remained a close ally of Syria and supports its legitimate government in the face of foreign-backed militancy.

Back in June, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani hailed the resistance of the Syrian government and people against foreign-backed terrorist groups in the Arab country, saying that Tehran is determined to side with Damascus to the end of the crisis.