“Iranian President Raisi Makes Historic Visit to Syria, Strengthening Anti-Western Ties”

TEHERAN – Ebrahim Raisi will be the first Iranian president to visit Syria in more than a decade when he travels to Damascus this week.

The talks were called by Tehran’s ambassador to Damascus Hossein Akbari a “turning point” in regional ties.

“The two-day trip to Damascus will foster closer relations between embattled countries that oppose Western world domination,” Ambassador Hossein Akbari said Sunday (1/5/2023) in an interview with Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, which seems to offend the hegemonic foreign policy of the United States (US).

“This trip is not only beneficial for Tehran and Damascus, but it is a very good event that other countries in the region can also benefit from,” he said.

“The timing of the visit makes it all the more important because of the changes taking place in the region,” said Akbari.

Iran and Saudi Arabia are reportedly planning to open embassies in each other’s countries within days after last month agreeing to normalize relations under a deal brokered by China.

Meanwhile, several Arab countries are normalizing relations with Damascus after years of joining the US in supporting rebel fighters.

The uprising’s campaign to topple the regime failed against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.