Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi at the shrine of Sayyida Zeinab, Damascus May 3, 2023 (Al Mayadeen)

During his speech at the shrine of Sayyida Zainab, as part of his visit to Syria, President Raisi said that Syria remained robust despite 12 years of brutal war and massacres sponsored by "Israel and the United States".

"With the genesis of takfiri terrorist groups, many did not take clear stances from them, except for Imam Khamenei who unhesitantly identified their criminal zionist essence," Raisi said.

Raisi then, on behalf of the Iranian people, praised the Syrian government and nation for its noble resistance and eventual victory. Specifically, he praised President Bashar Al-Assad who steadfastly contended the manufactured strife in Syria.

#Iranian President Ebrahim #Raisi had a warm welcome as he arrived in Damascus to meet with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. Raisi is the first Iranian President to visit #Syria since 2011. pic.twitter.com/41MDCGiq6g
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 3, 2023

Equivocally he pointed out that "Palestine was steadfast in its resistance against the Zionist regime completely changing the situation: the reigns today are in the hands of the mujahideen who aspire to liberate Al-Quds."

"After 12 years of war, Syria has emerged victorious, and we are gathered here to celebrate this victory" Raisi exclaimed.

Iran, he added, will stand by Syria in the period of reconstruction as they did before.

Israeli media reported that the visit of the Iranian president to Syria comes at an auspicious time in regard to regional development. It embodies a clear message to the enemy "We have won, and our strategic alliance cannot be broken."

The memorandum includes cooperation agreements regarding railway construction, agriculture, oil, and mutual recognition of maritime certificates. The signing of the MoU took place during #Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad's reception of his #Iranian counterpart in #Damascus. pic.twitter.com/DWndPz7by5
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 3, 2023

Roi Kays, an Israeli political commentator on Arab affairs in an interview with Kan, described the visit as "historic" such that it comes at "an important point in time from a regional point of view" marking the first time an Iranian president visits Syria in around a decade.

"Israel sees all the changes in the region, and this visit comes at an important time, when Syria is converging with the Arab countries, and Iran is also converging with the Gulf countries," Kays noted.

Citing Al Mayadeen's exclusive interview yesterday with President Raisi, Kays inferred that Iran has been taking key decisions to strengthen the resistance coalition, and this visit is within this framework. He added that Raisi intended message from this visit is that "our strategic alliance cannot be broken."