Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Syrian regime’s president Bashar al-Assad in Araghchi’s first official visit to Syria, coinciding with an Israeli escalation on Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
Al-Assad said during the meeting today, Saturday, October 5, that “the only solution for the Israeli entity is to stop the crimes of killing and shedding the blood of innocents and to restore legitimate rights to their owners.”
He mentioned that the strategic relationship linking Syria and Iran is important in facing the dangers threatening the region and its people, considering that resistance against all forms of occupation, aggression, and mass killings is a legitimate right.
For his part, Araghchi placed the Syrian regime outside the considerations of confrontation in light of the Israeli escalation on Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, reinforcing al-Assad’s stance from a year ago.
Araghchi stated during the meeting that he trusts the strength of resistance in Lebanon and Palestine to stand against the Israeli machine of destruction and killing, emphasizing the need for coordination with all countries supporting the halt of this aggression, without mentioning Syria’s role, according to a post by the Syrian Presidency.
Araghchi arrived in Damascus today, coming from Beirut, where he met on Friday, October 4, with Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
Araghchi said Tehran supports efforts to ceasefire in Lebanon, provided it is supported by the Hezbollah group and coincides with a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
He stated, “We support efforts aimed at a ceasefire, provided it is acceptable to the Lebanese people and accepted by the resistance, and thirdly, it coincides with a ceasefire in Gaza.”
Al-Assad distances himself
The Syrian regime’s handling of events in Lebanon did not differ significantly from its official stance on the events witnessed in the Gaza Strip for almost a year, limited to statements condemning Israeli attacks and solidarity with the Lebanese and Palestinian people.
During his meeting with members of the new government on September 24, al-Assad’s acknowledgment of the war file in Lebanon was limited to a reference to “the fierce attack by the Zionists on our brothers in Lebanon,” describing what is happening as “crimes that are difficult to describe or speak about,” calling on government members to ensure that the main headline of their work is to stand with the brothers in Lebanon in all fields and sectors without exception or hesitation.
Following the assassination of Lebanese Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, the Syrian Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning the Israeli attack on the Lebanese capital, Beirut, and offering condolences for his death.
In a statement on September 28, it said, “With the martyrdom of the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, all fighters for land liberation, sovereignty maintenance, and independence protection have suffered a loss,” followed by a message from Bashar al-Assad to Hezbollah and Nasrallah’s family, expressing solidarity and calling for the continuation of resistance.