Iran to continue support for Syria against terrorism, Rouhani tells Assad

In a Saturday phone conversation with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad, Rouhani stressed the necessity to fight against terrorist groups in the region and noted, “The strategic ties between Iran and Syria will continue and we will proceed with the right path together to serve the interests of the two nations and the countries in the region.”

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to actively participate in Syria’s reconstruction,” PressTV quoted him as saying.

Rouhani congratulated the Syrian nation and government on their victory against Daesh Takfiri terrorists and said, “Some Western powers and their lackeys in the region thought that Daesh would either occupy Iraq and Syria or would commit crimes and wreak havoc in the region for years.”

He stressed that the Syrian people should be able to decide for themselves without any foreign intervention.

“Those who think that the future of Syria can be decided in a power vacuum are making an impractical statement. In order to take the next steps, the government in Damascus should be stronger so it can effectively pass through the transition,” he added.

The Iranian president stressed that Tehran would stand by Damascus in its future political decisions, adding, “However, we believe that the Syrian opposition should … have their share in Syria’s political future in proportion to their status.”

Rouhani hailed the Wednesday meeting between the presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey in the Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi over the Syrian crisis as “an appropriate step at an appropriate time,” noting that the trio agreed that holding a national congress for intra-Syrian talks can be an effective measure to restore stability and security to Syria.

The all-Syrian congress will see representatives from all sides in Sochi to exchange views on the fate of the country to lay the groundwork for the drafting of a new constitution and elections.

Assad, for his part, expressed gratitude for Iran’s support for Syria in its fight against terrorism and noted that the recent victories against Daesh have prompted some of the regional Arab states to adopt “nervous and unreasonable positions” against Iran.

The Syrian president also called for active participation of Iranian private companies in Syria’s reconstruction process.

Iran, Russia and Turkey are acting as the guarantors of a ceasefire in Syria. The three countries joined efforts in late 2016 with the aim of returning peace to the crisis-hit country.

Russia and Iran were allied with the Damascus government, while Turkey supported the anti-Damascus front. Since then, the three counties have taken successful strides on the path to peace, mediating talks between the Syrian government and the foreign-backed opposition.