Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam, leading a high-level political delegation, began a two-day visit to Tehran yesterday, which some Iranian officials have described as highly significant.
Khaddam confirmed that he is carrying a message from President Bashar al-Assad to his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Khatami, regarding the tense situations in the region.
Following discussions with Iranian Vice President Dr. Hassan Habibi, Khaddam, in response to a question about the possibility of a war between Syria and Israel, stated that Syria has been in a state of war since 1948. He emphasized that Israel would regret any foolish actions against his country, which is prepared to respond to aggression.
For his part, Habibi reiterated his country’s support for both Syria and Lebanon in the event of an Israeli attack on either. He added that Tehran’s support for Damascus is not limited. Iranian sources considered Khaddam’s meetings with both Khatami and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as indicative of the importance of the agenda Khaddam is carrying, given the ongoing regional developments.
Khaddam affirmed that “the United Nations is the sole reference for resolving issues related to Palestine,” and that it is necessary to implement the organization’s resolutions, including Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied territories and halting settlement construction.
