Raisi meets Assad on first visit to Syria by an Iranian president in 13 years

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi Wednesday met Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus in a bid to boost cooperation between the two allies, state media reported.

Tehran has been a main backer of Assad’s government since an uprising turned into a full-blown war in March 2011 and has played an instrumental role in turning the tide in his favor.

Iran has sent scores of military advisers and thousands of Iran-backed fighters from around the Middle East to fight on Assad’s side. With the help of Russia and Iran, Syrian government forces have controlled large parts of the country in recent years. READ MORE