In a meeting with the visiting President Bashar al-Assad and his accompanying delegation in Tehran on Thursday, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution considered the resistance as the privileged identity of Syria, emphasizing that Syria’s special position in the region is due to this privileged identity and this important feature must be preserved.

Ayatollah Khamenei thanked Bashar Assad for his presence in Tehran to express his condolences to the people of Iran regarding the martyrdom of President Raeisi, pointing out that the late president of Iran played a significant role in strengthening Iran and Syria relations.

He added that that Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian also played a great role solidifying the Terhan and Damascus ties.

The Leader further assessed the strengthening of relations between Iran and Syria as important since the two countries are the pillars of the Axis of resistance.

He stressed that Syria’s privileged identity which is the resistance was formed during the late Hafez al-Assad era and with the establishment of the resistance Front, noting that this identity has always preserved the national unity of Syria.

Emphasizing the necessity of preserving this resistance identity of Syria, he pointed out that Western countries and their followers in the region intended to overthrow the political system of  Syria and remove this country from the equation of the region by waging war against Syria, but they did not succeed.

He added that Western countries are planning to take Syria out of the regional equations with other methods, including promises that they will never hold.

He praised the firm stances of President Bashar Assad, emphasizing that everyone should see the special privilege of the Syrian government which is resistance.

He pointed to the political and economic pressures imposed by the US and Europe on Iran and Syria, saying, “We must overcome these conditions by increasing cooperation and regularizing it.”

Referring to martyr Raeisi’s preparation to increase the cooperation between Iran and Syria in various fields, Leader pointed out that currently  Mohammad Mokhber has the powers of the president, and continues the same approach.

He also criticized the positions and inaction of some countries in the region regarding the Gaza issue.

He pointed to the recent meeting of Arab leaders in Bahrain’s Capital, Manama, criticizing some of the participants for their failure in daling with Palestine and Gaza issue.

Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that Iran sees a bright future for the region, saying, “We hope that we all can bear the responsibility to reach bright future.”

Syrian President Bashar Assad, for his part, stressed that Iran and Syria relations are a strategic relationship that are progressing under the guidance of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution martyr Raeisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian were at the forefront of the implementation of this guidance.

Referring to President Raeisi’s humble, wise, and ethical personality, the Syrian President called him a clear example of the positions and slogans of the Islamic Revolution, adding that late president Raeisi played an important impact on Iran’s role in the region and the Palestinian issue in the past three years, as well as in deepening Iran and Syria relations.

He also pointed to the issue of Resistance in the region, saying that after more than 50 years, the line of resistance in the region has progressed and has become a religious and political approach.

Emphasizing that Syria’s position has always been that any retreat against the West will encourage them to proceed [with their plots], Assad stated, “I announced a few years ago that the cost of resistance is lower than the cost of compromise, and this issue is now very clear to the Syrian people.”

He added that the recent cases in Gaza and the victories of the Resistance proved this issue for the people of the region and showed that resistance is a principle.

Assad appreciated the clear and important role of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution in supporting the resistance in the region and also in supporting Syria in all fields.

At the end of the meeting, the Leader emphasized, “The more we retreat, the more aggressive the other side gets”, noting that this has been our slogan and belief over more than the pst 40 years.

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