Assad tells Iran’s Larijani he backs local truces

Syria's President Bashar Al Assad meets Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani in Damascus. -Reuters

Syria’s President Bashar Al Assad told a top official from key supporter Iran on Sunday his regime is working on “reconciliations” to end the brutal civil war, state news agency SANA said.

His regime refers to local truces agreed between troops and rebels in several opposition-held areas as “national reconciliations”.

However, Assad also told Ali Larijani, the speaker of parliament in Tehran, that Syria will continue to fight “terror” — a term the regime has used for its opponents, both armed and peaceful, since the outbreak of a 2011 revolt.

“President Assad emphasised the Syrian people’s determination to eradicate terrorism,” said SANA, adding that he would also continue to press for “national reconciliations... all over Syrian territory”.

Larijani’s visit comes less than a fortnight after Assad met a top Russian envoy who said Moscow is hoping to relaunch peace talks and that it could host a Syria-US meeting.

Russia and Iran are Assad’s main allies, supplying him with financial, military and political support in his bid to crush the rebellion.