Syrian Defense Minister Praises Iran’s Support

Date: 23 January 2023 - 21:48

News ID: ۱۱۱۶۸۱

TEHRAN – Iran’s highest-ranking military commander on Monday called for plans to hold a joint war game with Syria, which he hailed for being at the forefront of supporting Palestine against the Zionist regime.

In a meeting with Syrian Defense Minister Ali Mahmoud Abbas here, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Muhammad Hussein Baqeri lauded Syria for its resistance and for supporting Palestine from the outset of occupation of the Palestinian territories by the Zionist regime.

The senior commander stressed the need for staging a joint military exercise between Iran and Syria.

Major General Baqeri also condemned the recurrent Israeli acts of aggression against the Arab country that has violated international law.

He said Iran has provided advisory support for the Syrian Army so far, expressing the Islamic Republic’s readiness to help the Syrian military forces in restructuring, training, and supplying equipment.

For his part, the Syrian defense minister highlighted the close interaction between Damascus and Tehran in the fight against terrorism and the common enemy.

Praising the Islamic Republic for backing his country during the crisis and for standing against the Zionist regime, Abbas said Syria will continue to fight against the Zionist regime and stand with the nations seeking independence.

In July 2020, Iran and Syria signed a comprehensive agreement to enhance their cooperation in the military and defense sectors.

Iran began providing Syria with advisory military assistance after numerous countries, at the head of them the U.S. and its Western and regional allies started funding and arming militants and terrorists with the aim of deposing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government in 2011.

Despite initially losing considerable expanses of territory to Daesh and other terror outfits, the country, however, rallied with the help of Iran and Russia, another ally of Damascus, to reverse the balance in its favor on the battleground.