Islam Times - Iran, Syria Sign Agreement to Boost Military, Security Cooperation

Islam Times - Iran is set to boost Syria's air defenses as part of a wider military security agreement signed between the two countries.

"We will strengthen Syria's air defense systems within the framework of strengthening military cooperation between the two countries," Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri said on Wednesday after signing a "comprehensive" agreement with Syrian Defense Minister Ali Abdullah Ayoub in Damascus to boost military and defense cooperation.

Under the agreement, military and security cooperation will be expanded and the coordination between the Armed Forces of the two countries will continue.

Speaking after signing the agreement at the headquarters of the General Command of the Syrian Army and Armed Forces, General Baqeri said the signed deal "increases our will to work together in the face of US pressure."

"The people and countries of the region do not welcome the presence of the United States, and our response to the American prattling will continue," he added.

The Iranian commander said the military-security agreement also envisages boosting the Syrian air defenses.

Ayoub, for his part, lauded the Damascus-Tehran relations.

"If the American administrations had been able to subjugate Syria, Iran and the axis of resistance, they would not have hesitated for a moment," Beirut-based al-Mayadeen TV channel quoted the Syrian minister as saying.

He described ‘Israel’ as a "powerful partner" of the US in the war against Syria, adding that terrorist groups constituted part of the ‘Israeli’ aggression.

The two sides underlined the need for the withdrawal of foreign forces who have been "illegally" deployed to the Arab country in violation of international law and said the forces are the main obstacle to the complete cleansing of armed terrorist groups in some parts of Syria.

The heads of the senior military delegations of Iran and Syria also stressed that the agreement was the result of years of military, security and technical coordination and cooperation in various areas of joint fight against terrorism.

The talks ended up with a joint statement that stressed to continue the battle against Takfiri terrorism supported by some regional and international powers, and that it is among the goals of the agreement.

They also stressed in the statement that the comprehensive military agreement was signed to implement the directives of the political and military leaders of the two countries to enhance their defense capabilities and promote self-reliance against any possible foreign aggression.

Iran and Syria have signed different military and defense cooperation over the past years.

Iran began providing Syria with advisory military assistance after numerous countries, at the head of them the US and its Western and regional allies, started funding and arming militants and terrorists with the aim of deposing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government.