Iran Pledges Continued Support to Palestinians as Tehran, Damascus Sign Agreements

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met with senior Palestinian officials in Damascus on Thursday, expressing his country’s continued support for them while Iran and Syria signed multiple long-term cooperation agreements. Damascus-based Palestinian official Khalid ʽAbd al-Majid, head of a splinter faction of the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front, told The Associated Press that the delegation updated Raisi on the situation in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. Iran has long provided financial and military backing to select Palestinian factions.

ʽAbd al-Majid, who attended the talks, stated that Raisi confirmed to the Palestinian officials, including top leaders from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, that Iran’s support would persist.

Raisi’s two-day visit to Syria was intended to solidify economic ties between Tehran and Damascus by signing agreements spanning oil, agriculture, railways, and free trade zones.

Tehran has been a primary supporter of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government since the 2011 uprising escalated into a full-scale civil war. With Arab governments that previously called for Assad’s removal now gradually reconciling with Damascus, Iran seeks investment and economic opportunities in Syria to help its struggling economy.

The deals are also crucial for Syria, which has experienced an all-time economic low over the past decade, characterized by soaring inflation, a plunging currency, and widespread power outages.