Iranian, Syrian Presidents Hold Phone Conversation, Discuss Regional Tensions

Arab World

April 10th, 5:40am

Damascus - London – Asharq Al-Awsat

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi held phone conversation with his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad (IRNA)

Syrian President Bashar Assad and his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi discussed in a phone call on Sunday the tensions in the region, a Syrian presidential statement announced. According to AFP, the Presidency said the phone call dealt with the assaults of the Israeli occupation forces on al-Aqsa Mosque and on worshippers. The two presidents considered that the assaults reflect the aggressive policy of the Israeli entity, and are inseparable from the ones against Syria targeting the civilians. The two leaders also discussed bilateral relations and developments in the region, especially in light of the prevailing positive political atmosphere. Raisi stressed the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, considering that combating terrorism stems from supporting national sovereignty in Syria. Meanwhile, in a statement quoted by the Iranian news agency, IRNA, Iran’s Presidency said Raisi told Assad that the crimes of the Zionist regime show its weakness and are also evidence of a bright and promising future for the resistance. The Iranian president said that the global system is changing in favor of the axis of resistance and against the arrogance system and the Zionist regime, adding that the crimes of the Zionist regime are a sign of its weakness and desperation, and is proof that the future for the resistance movement is bright and hopeful. Early on Wednesday, the Israeli police stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque, while Tel Aviv strengthened its forces in the occupied West Bank. Later, rockets were fired from Lebanon, Syria, and the Gaza Strip toward Israel, which responded with air strikes. On Sunday, Israeli jets hit Syrian military targets in response to rockets launched towards Israeli-controlled territory overnight, Israel's military said, as violence flared again following cross-border exchanges of fire during the week. Iran is Syria’s main regional ally. Since the outbreak of the conflict in 2011, Tehran has provided Damascus with extensive economic and military support, especially by deploying military advisers in the country. Meanwhile, Russia's ambassador to Damascus, Alexander Efimov, revealed that the date of the quadripartite meeting at the level of the foreign ministers of Syria, Türkiye, Iran, and Russia has been postponed to next month. In a statement to the Syrian newspaper “Al-Watan”, Efimov said that the meeting, which was scheduled for Monday, has been rescheduled for early May, stressing that “contacts and consultations continue between the parties to achieve positive results on this issue." Efimov stressed that “the path of normalizing relations between Syria and Türkiye is long, and all files and issues cannot be resolved and discussed in one or more rounds of negotiations.” Last Tuesday, a meeting on Syria at the level of deputy foreign ministers between Türkiye, Russia, Iran, and Syria was held in Moscow. The meeting was the first political contact between Damascus and Ankara since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in 2011 and the resulting tension in relations between the two neighbors.

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