Iran, Syria Ink Strategic Cooperation Deal during Raisi’s Visit to Damascus

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Syria signed a long-term strategic cooperation accord, including a memorandum of understanding on bilateral cooperation in the oil industry, during the first visit by an Iranian head of state to Damascus in more than a decade, the Syrian state news agency reported.

Raisi arrived in the Syrian capital on May 3, accompanied by a high-ranking political and economic delegation, and met with President Bashar Assad.

During his two-day visit, Raisi is also set to visit two holy sites in Shia Islam, as well as a monument dedicated to Syrian soldiers killed in battle.

The last Iranian president to visit Syria was Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2010.

The Islamic Republic has been a major backer of the Syrian government since an uprising turned into a full-blown war in 2011. 

Tehran has sent military advisers and thousands of Iran-backed fighters from around the Middle East to fight on Assad's side, helping to turn the tide of the war in his favor. 

With the help of Russia and Iran, Syrian government forces have controlled large parts of the country in recent years.

Raisi's visit comes as some Arab countries, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia, have been opening up to Assad, with their foreign ministers visiting Damascus in recent weeks. 

In March, Iran and Saudi Arabia reached a China-brokered agreement to re-establish diplomatic relations and re-open embassies after seven years of tensions.