Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad stated on Tuesday that "Syria is in grief following the loss of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian."

Speaking to Al Mayadeen, al-Miqdad added, "Syria lost two dear friends; they were among our closest allies, and Syria was one of the countries closest to them."

He continued, stating that the relationship between Syria and President Raisi was "popularly and politically consensual." Raisi "wanted to know everything, in detail, about Syria, and believed in its steadfastness and victory, viewing its people as his own and recognizing President Bashar al-Assad for his resilience."

"تعيش سوريا أياماً حزينة جداً بفقدان أصدقاء أعزاء، والرئيس الإيراني إبراهيم رئيسي من أقرب الناس لـ #سوريا"

وزير الخارجية السوري فيصل المقداد لــ #الميادين #الرئيس_الإيراني #عبداللهیان #الميادين pic.twitter.com/3An7z5SAoQ

— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) May 21, 2024

Al-Miqdad added that the late Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian "was deeply attached to Damascus both personally and politically," further stating, "We have lost a true friend of Syria."

In this context, he emphasized that "the relationship with Iran is strategic, and it should not exhibit arrogance towards either people or regimes." He was hopeful that "Iranian relations will evolve similarly with all Arab countries, forming a unified front in confronting adversaries and achieving victory together."

Al-Miqdad added, "Nothing should divide us. We consider ourselves allies of all genuine political factions within the Islamic Republic and advocate for strong and strategic relations with Tehran." He highlighted that the two countries "share a commitment to opposing Israel and prioritize the Palestinian issue."

The Syrian minister explained to Al Mayadeen that, “no matter how circumstances change, Damascus’s relationship with any future Iranian president will be strategic, as it is now, and as it was before.” 

Al-Miqdad's remarks coincided with the funeral procession held in Tabriz, the capital of East Azerbaijan Province in Iran, where the first farewell was bid to the late President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and their companions.

At the first funeral stop, hundreds of thousands of Iranians gathered to bid farewell to the bodies of the deceased. Following Tabriz, the bodies will be taken to Qom, then to the capital, Tehran, before reaching their final destination in Mashhad. There, they will be laid to rest next to the shrine of Imam Ali Ibn Mousa al-Rida.