On Thursday, Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi began his second day of his strategic visit to Damascus by stressing that the unity of the "resistance forces" in confronting Israel is now "more necessary than ever."

Raisi arrived Wednesday at the head of a high ministerial delegation to Syria, in the first visit by an Iranian president in more than 12 years, despite the great economic, political and military support provided by Tehran to Damascus and helped change the course of the conflict in favor of the government forces.

Following extensive talks with his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad, during which he affirmed his country's renewed support for Syria and the depth of bilateral relations, Raisi met Thursday morning at the presidential palace with a group of "leaders of Palestinian factions," according to the official Iranian news agency, IRNA.

Raisi said, according to the same source, "Today, more than ever, the unity and cohesion of the forces of resistance, the region and the Islamic world is necessary to accelerate the defeat of the Zionist regime."

He stressed that "the issue of Palestine and the liberation of Jerusalem is the most important issue in the Islamic world today and should not be forgotten," stressing that it constitutes a "priority" in his country's foreign policy.

Tehran is the main supporter of factions and groups fighting Israel, led by the Lebanese Hezbollah, the archenemy of Israel, in addition to Palestinian factions.

In a celebration held in the Gaza Strip on "International Al-Quds Day" on April 14, Raisi's speech was televised, in a step that is the first of its kind during a ceremony by Palestinian factions. During the festival, the head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, praised the Iranian support "logistically, financially, and with weapons for the Palestinian resistance."

Raisi's visit to Damascus comes in the midst of a rapprochement between Riyadh and Tehran, which announced in March the resumption of their relations after a long rupture, while an Arab, Saudi openness in particular, is being recorded towards Damascus, which has been boycotted by several Arab countries since 2011.

On Wednesday, Raisi praised the "victory" achieved by Syria after 12 years of devastating conflict, "despite the threats and sanctions" imposed on it, stressing that the relationship between the two countries "is not only a political and diplomatic relationship, but also a deep and strategic relationship."
On Wednesday, according to the official media, the two presidents signed a memorandum of understanding for a "comprehensive long-term strategic cooperation plan", which includes several areas, including agriculture, railways, civil aviation, oil and free zones.

Raisi said, "Just as the Islamic Republic stood by the Syrian government and people in combating terrorism, it will stand by its Syrian brothers in the field of development and progress" in the reconstruction phase.

Since the first years of the conflict, Tehran has sent military advisers to Syria to support the Syrian army in its battles against the jihadist organizations and the opposition, which Damascus classifies as "terrorist". Tehran contributed to pushing groups loyal to it, led by the Lebanese Hezbollah, to fight in Syria alongside the government forces.

The fronts in Syria have relatively calmed down since 2019, although the war has not actually ended. Government forces currently control most of the areas they lost at the beginning of the conflict. Attracting funds for the reconstruction phase has become a priority for Damascus, after the war destroyed infrastructure, factories, and production.