The "Students' News Agency" reported that "Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad today in Tehran." It added that "Assad expressed his condolences for the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash." Khamenei thanked Bashar al-Assad for being in Tehran to extend condolences to the Iranian people over the death of President Ebrahim Raisi and his companions in the helicopter accident, highlighting Raisi's significant role in strengthening Iranian-Syrian relations.
Khamenei evaluated the enhancement of relations between Iran and Syria as crucial, stating that "the two countries are the foundations of the resistance axis," according to the Iranian news agency IRNA. He pointed out that "Westerners and their followers in the region planned to topple the political system of this country and remove Syria from the regional equations by waging war on Syria, but they failed. Now, they are attempting to remove Syria from the regional equations through other means, including unfulfilled promises."
Khamenei noted the "political and economic pressures exerted by America and Europe on Iran and Syria" and stated, "We must overcome these conditions through increased and systematic cooperation." He also criticized the "positions and inaction" of some regional countries regarding the Gaza issue and referred to the "recent meeting of Arab leaders in Manama," adding, "In this meeting, many shortcomings regarding Palestine and Gaza were highlighted, but some countries also acted positively."
He emphasized that Iran's outlook for the future is positive and clear, saying, "We hope that we can all fulfill our duties and reach this bright future."
