Assad hails Iran nuclear deal as 'a great victory'

Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad congratulated his key ally Iran on Tuesday for reaching a nuclear deal with the P5+1 group of world powers. Assad called the agreement “a major turning point” and “a great victory”, Syria’s state news agency, SANA, has reported.

In a message to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Assad said that he is “happy that the Islamic Republic of Iran has achieved a great victory by reaching an agreement.” In another message addressed to President Hassan Rouhani, he expressed his belief that the deal “will be a major turning point in the history of Iran, the region and the world.”

Describing the nuclear agreement as “clear recognition” on the part of world powers of the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme, Assad told his Iranian counterpart that it also preserves the national rights of the Iranian people and confirms the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Iran is a key ally of Damascus and has supported Assad’s government with military and financial aid, including a $1 billion credit line approved by Syria’s parliament on 7 July.

The Syrian foreign ministry also welcomed the nuclear deal, which it said underlined the importance of adopting diplomacy and political solutions to resolve international disagreements.