Russia: Iran's Presence in Syria on Damascus Consent, to Promote Regional Peace

“This is a sovereign country  (Syria) led by a legitimate government. It can agree on cooperation with any other country, including Iran and Russia," Bogdanov said on Friday.

He noted that Syria is a member of the United Nations, and said "The Arab country has equal rights over its self-determination with Russia, the US and any other member of the UN."

Iran has been offering military advisory support to Syria at the request of the Damascus government, enabling its army to speed up its gains on various fronts against terror outfits.

Iran has been the main supporter of the Syrian government in the course of the almost decade long struggle of the Arab nation with foreign-funded terrorism. Syria's closeness to Iran has been the main source of animosity held by the US, Israeli regime and Saudi Arabia which have funneled billions of dollars and massive amounts of arms and weapon to terrorist held areas of the war-torn country to make Syria pay for its alliance with Iran.

Earlier in April, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani cabled a message to his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad reassuring that the Islamic Republic of Iran was fully prepared to help Syria with the reconstruction of the war-ravaged country.

"Just as it stood by the Syrian people in their fight against terrorism, the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to stand by you in Syria's reconstruction employing all it has in power," Rouhani said at the time.

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