Assad Calls Iranian Attack on Israel "Strong" and a "Lesson"

Assad Calls Iranian Attack on Israel "Strong" and a "Lesson"
October 5, 2024, 3:21 pm

بشار الأسد

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Saturday that the Iranian attack on Israel was "strong" and taught it a "lesson," referring to Tehran's firing of nearly 200 missiles at the state of Israel in response to the assassination of the head of Hamas' political bureau Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.

During a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Damascus, Assad stated that "the Iranian response to what the Israeli entity has done in terms of repeated violations and attacks on the peoples of the region and the sovereignty of their countries was a strong response, giving a lesson that the axis of resistance is capable of deterring the enemy" and that it "will remain strong and steadfast."

Araghchi met with Assad and his Syrian counterpart Bassam Sabbagh in Damascus on Saturday. He arrived in the Syrian capital on the heels of a visit to Beirut.

Upon arriving in Syria, he emphasized the importance of reaching a simultaneous ceasefire in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

Araghchi told reporters, "The most important issue today is a ceasefire, particularly in Lebanon and Gaza," adding, "There are initiatives in this regard, and there have been consultations that we hope will be successful."

This is Araghchi’s first visit to Damascus since taking office and comes amid a significant escalation between Iran and the groups it supports on one side and Israel on the other.

He stated, "Our bilateral cooperation is a subject of very wide-ranging discussion. We have good relations with Syria in various economic, political, and cultural fields, so it is natural to review them."

He continued, "We are trying to remove existing obstacles and find new areas of cooperation and continue relations in a way that is better than in the past."

In recent months, Syrian analysts hosted by local media have spoken about "differences in viewpoints" between Iran and Syria on several issues, particularly the limited support from Tehran to Damascus in the economic and energy sectors amid the country's chronic economic crisis.

According to analysts, the divergence in viewpoints also extends to Iran's military presence following reports of its reduction of forces under the pressure of Israeli airstrikes that targeted its positions and Iranian leaders since the start of the war on Gaza.

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