Syria and Iran sign long-term oil and trade agreements

Syrian President Bashar Assad, right, shakes hands with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, May 3, 2023. Raisi Wednesday met Assad in Damascus in a bid to boost cooperation between the two allies, state media reported. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)

The presidents of Iran and Syria have signed a series of long-term cooperation agreements on oil and other sectors to bolster economic ties between the two allies.

Iran’s Ebrahim Raisi, leading a large economic and political delegation, met his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad after landing in the war-torn country for a two-day visit — an Iranian president’s first visit to Damascus since 2010.