DAMASCUS (Dispatches) -- Iranian Defense Minister Azizi Nasirzadeh here Sunday held security discussions with Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad amid mounting Israeli aggression against the Arab country.
He was the second senior Iranian official to visit Syria in as many weeks. On Thursday, the same day Israel bombed what it described as Palestinian Islamic Jihad compounds in Damascus, Ali Larijani, senior adviser Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, met President Assad.  
Assad and Nasirzadeh spoke about “issues related to defense and security in the region, and bolstering co-operation between the two countries,” the official Syrian news agency Sana said.
Iranian media reported shortly before his arrival on Saturday that Nasirzadeh, accompanied by high-level officials, would “explore ways to enhance defense and security co-operation” during the visit.
It quoted Nasirzadeh as saying that Syria plays “a strategic role in Iran’s foreign policy”, and that the two countries support each other in “critical” times.
The alliance is critical to the strategic position of Hezbollah in the continuing war with Israel. Syrian army and intelligence units have also come under attack by the Zionist regime in the past several months.  
President Assad said regional countries and the international community are required to bring an end to terrorism gripping West Asia.
In a separate meeting with Director of the Syrian National Security Bureau Kifah Moulhem, the Iranian defense minister said the Islamic Republic will continue to support the resistance front and the Syrian government and nation.
He said Iran will proceed with its strategic support for Syria in its fight against terrorism and efforts to spread peace and stability in the region.
Moulhem, for his part, hailed the wise stance of Ayatollah Khamenei on the importance of supporting the resistance, describing it as a source of strength for regional nations.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed ways to promote Tehran-Damascus interactions in various fields, particularly in the defense and security sectors, with the purpose of eradicating terrorism.
They also stressed the need to continue bilateral cooperation to promote peace and stability in the region.
Nasirzadeh also held talks with his Syrian counterpart, Lieutenant General Ali Mahmoud Abbas.
Iran was the first country to rush to Syria’s aid following the 2011 outbreak of foreign-backed violence there.
In 2017, military advisory assistance provided by the Islamic Republic helped the Arab nation score a monumental victory over the Daesh terrorist group.