The meeting took place after Amir-Abdollahian, at the head of a political delegation, arrived in the Syrian capital earlier on Sunday.

The two officials discussed Tehran-Damascus relations as well as regional and international issues of concern, including the Israeli war on Gaza.

Amir-Abdollahian said Gaza is the “main issue” not only at the regional but also at the international level. He said Syria is on the front line of supporting the Palestinians and their cause.

Assad, for his part, said the Israeli regime and the West are currently at an impasse over the war in Gaza and that the Israeli escalation in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon is nothing but a Western-led attempt to get the illegal entity out of the impasse and save the regime.

“It is our duty to stand to the utmost of our ability alongside the Palestinian people because what these people achieved during the recent Israeli aggression on Gaza has not been achieved since the Palestinian issue arose decades ago,” the Syrian president said.

Pointing to the Israeli regime’s planned invasion of the southern city of Rafah in Gaza, Assad said, “The Zionist entity is not satisfied with the horrific amount of crimes it has committed in the current campaign against Gaza, and over the past years of bloodshed, and therefore it is preparing to bring to a head its crimes in the city of Rafah, while the relevant international institutions stand by.”