Syria’s Assad congratulates key ally Iran on nuclear deal

Embattled president calls accord a ‘great victory’ and a ‘major turning point’ in the history of the world

By AFP 14 July 2015, 4:01 pm

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Syrian President Bashar Assad speaks to the BBC in an interview aired February 10, 2015. (screen capture: BBC)

DAMASCUS — Syrian President Bashar aAssad congratulated key ally Iran on reaching a nuclear deal with world powers on Tuesday, calling the agreement a “great victory.”

In a message to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Assad said he was “happy that the Islamic Republic of Iran has achieved a historic victory by reaching an agreement,” state news agency SANA reported.

Assad congratulated Tehran on the deal, which he said would be a “major turning point in the history of Iran, the region and the world.”

He added that it provided “clear recognition on the part of world powers of the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program, while preserving the national rights of your people and confirming the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Tehran is a longstanding ally of Damascus and has remained so since the uprising that began in March 2011.