By AFP – Agence France Presse
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ADDS Araghchi Quotes
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi welcomed his new Syrian counterpart Bassam al-Sabbagh in Tehran on Tuesday, the latest in a series of meetings between top officials from the close allies.
Sabbagh is in Tehran for his first visit since taking up his post in September to meet Iranian officials, local media reported.
The Syrian top diplomat and Araghchi attended a joint press conference later in the day where the Iranian foreign minister reaffirmed Iran’s support for Syria and allied groups in the region.
Araghchi said that “the Islamic Republic of Iran will always be on the side of Syria and the axis of resistance,” a group of Iran-backed groups aligned against Israel, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
He said the country would “not hesitate to provide any support” to the groups.
Sabbagh’s visit comes less than a week after Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, visited Syria and met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Over the weekend, Iranian Defence Minister Aziz Nasrizadeh was in Damascus to hold talks with Syrian officials.
Earlier in October, Araghchi himself travelled to Damascus as part of a regional tour just days before Israeli strikes on Iranian military sites.
It came after an Iranian missile attack on Israel at the start of the month that was prompted by the killing of several commanders of militant groups affiliated with Iran, including Hezbollah, and a commander of the Revolutionary Guards.
Iran does not recognise Israel and is a staunch ally of Damascus.
Tehran has supported Bashar al-Assad during more than a decade of civil war in Syria.
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