Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s recent trip to Tehran indicated that relations between the two countries are enduring despite foreign efforts to weaken their alliance, a lawmaker said.
Last week, the Syrian president made his first trip to Iran since 2011, when foreign-backed insurgents created a crisis. He met with Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani to express his appreciation for Iran’s unwavering support of his government.
Mohammad Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said Persian Gulf Arab states’ coordinated move to reopen their embassies in Syria now that the Arab country has gained the upper hand in the fight against militants is aimed at poisoning Tehran-Damascus ties, ICANA reported.
“But Assad’s trip to Iran showed that this plot could never be carried out,” he said.
Arab states, including some that once backed rebels against Assad, are seeking reconciliation with him after decisive gains by his forces in the war on an all-out insurgency that aimed to expand their clout in Syria at the expense of non-Arab Turkey and Iran.
Rezaei also pointed to the economic memoranda of understanding signed between the two countries during a recent visit to Syria by Iranian Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri as a sign of continued bilateral cooperation.
“Some countries thought that relations between Iran and Syria had deteriorated, but the MoUs and Assad’s visit to Tehran proved them wrong,” he said.
Qasem Jasemi, another member of the parliamentary panel, also described the recent trip by the Syrian president as an indication of deep-rooted strategic relations between Tehran and Damascus.
“Some countries want Iran to change its policies regarding Syria, but the visit clearly showed that such a strategic shift is impossible,” he said.
Assad’s presence in Iran, according to the legislator, also confirmed the Leader’s statement that the identity and strength of the resistance movement in Syria depend on enduring strategic ties with Iran.
