Iran’s defense minister in Syria to discuss war coordination, post-war reconstruction

Tabnak – As the bloody civil war in Syria is coming to an end with the Syrian army retaking most parts of the country from the rebel and terrorist groups, Tehran is upgrading its support for Damascus to start the post-war reconstruction process. Iranian defense minister’s visit to Syria today was aimed at this significant goal.

Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami traveled to Syria on Sunday for a series of high-profile meetings on ways to promote Tehran-Damascus military cooperation and coordinate the fight against terrorism.

Heading a ranking military delegation, General Hatami arrived in Damascus on Sunday morning for a two-day visit at the invitation of Syria’s Defense Minister General Ali Abdullah Ayyoub.

Speaking to reporters upon his arrival in Damascus, General Hatami said he aims to expand bilateral cooperation as Syria has entered the post-war reconstruction phase, adding, “We hope to develop an active partnership in Syria’s reconstruction.” He also hailed the axis of resistance’s victories against terrorist groups as a milestone in the process of regional cooperation.

Also in the meeting with his Syrian counterpart, Hatami warned of extra-regional countries' plots to sow discord in Syria, vowing the Islamic Republic's full support for the war-ravaged country in a bid to preserve its territorial integrity and improve its stability.

"Iran will spare no effort to maintain Syria's territorial integrity, because security in the country will help [improve] regional stability," Hatami said in a meeting with his Syrian counterpart, General Ali Abdullah Ayyoub, in Damascus on Sunday.

He added that the eradication of terrorism in Syria would restore full security to the region and strip foreign powers of any pretext they might have for intervention in the country.

The Syrian defense minister, for his part, said Tehran and Damascus have strong relations, emphasizing that Syria would allow no country to harm its ties with Iran. Ayyoub added that Syria would never be able to defeat terrorism without Iran's cooperation and noted that Tehran and Damascus were sharing their experience on different issues.

He said major achievements made by the Syrian forces in their battle against terrorism have caused concern among enemies in the region, particularly the US and the Israeli regime.

Hatami’s visit follows Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri's trip to Syria last October. Iran and Syria enjoy strategic relations. Syria was the only Arab country that supported Iran during the Iraqi-imposed war in 1980s.

At the request of Damascus, Iran has been providing military advisory assistance to the Syrian government forces who are fighting an all-out foreign-sponsored militancy.

Iran's military presence in Syria is a thorn in the side of Israel. On April 9, an Israeli airstrike against the T-4 airbase in Syria’s Homs Province killed more than a dozen people, including seven Iranian military advisers.