In a Saturday phone conversation with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad, Rouhani stressed the necessity to fight against terrorist groups in the region and noted, “The strategic ties between Iran and Syria will continue and we will proceed with the right path together to serve the interests of the two nations and the countries in the region.”

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to actively participate in Syria’s reconstruction,” he noted.

Rouhani congratulated the Syrian nation and government on their victory against Daesh Takfiri terrorists and said, “Some Western powers and their lackeys in the region thought that Daesh would either occupy Iraq and Syria or would commit crimes and wreak havoc in the region for years.”

He stressed that the Syrian people should be able to decide for themselves without any foreign intervention.

“Those who think that the future of Syria can be decided in a power vacuum are making an impractical statement. In order to take the next steps, the government in Damascus should be stronger so it can effectively pass through the transition,” he added.

The Iranian president stressed that Tehran would stand by Damascus in its future political decisions, adding, “However, we believe that the Syrian opposition should … have their share in Syria’s political future in proportion to their status.”