In a Saturday letter to Bashar al-Assad, Rouhani congratulated the Syrian president and nation on the Evacuation Day, the main national holiday in Syria celebrated on April 17 every year to mark the pullout of last French troops from the Arab country back in 1946.
In the message, the Iranian president hailed Syria’s tireless efforts to defeat terrorism in the same way that it struggled for independence decades ago.
He also pledged that Iran will keep supporting Syria in restoring security and stability and in fighting terrorism.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s administration is prepared to stand with you in the reconstruction of Syria with all at its disposal in the same way that it stood by the Syrian nation in the war against terrorism,” Rouhani underlined.
A civil war that broke out in Syria in March 2011 turned into a large-scale militancy that included various mercenaries and terrorist groups, most notably Daesh (ISIL).
According to reports, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country’s pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.
Throughout these years, Iran has remained a close ally of Syria and supported its government in the face of foreign-backed militancy.