Iran to Continue Backing Syria: Velayati
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – An international adviser to Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution reiterated Tehran’s full support for the Syrian government, saying that the Islamic Republic will continue to stand by and support the Syrian nation.
"The Syrian-Iranian relations are brotherly and tight relations…It is the duty of Iran to continue standing by the friendly state and its President Bashar Assad and support Syria in everything in the conditions of the world war against Syria declared by the West and a number of regional states," Ali Akbar Velayati told reporters upon his arrival in Damascus on Sunday, Sputnik reported.
Velayati, who is also head of the Strategic Research Center of Iran's Expediency Council, arrived in the Syrian capital on Sunday to hold talks with President Bashar Assad and a number of other senior officials of the Arab country.
He is scheduled to discuss various bilateral and regional issues during his visit to the war-torn country.
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.