Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad reportedly stated on Saturday, July 2, that Russia’s war on Ukraine and the related political losses, which he said had been incurred by the West due to its “masks being removed” and its “lies exposed” there, constitute the start of a new international balance. Speaking during a meeting in Damascus with the Iranian foreign minister, the Syrian dictator added that what is happening in Ukraine, a reference to his Russian backers' war on the country, is “ in the interests of Syria, Iran, and all countries and peoples that defend their principles, rights and the sovereignty of their decision.”

Iranian and Syrian state media reported the statements by Assad, which were made at a meeting between the Syrian dictator and Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amir Abdollahian, during a visit to Damascus by the Iranian official and accompanying delegation to discuss bilateral trade and other issues.

During the meeting, as the independent Syrian Shaam News Network revealed, Assad and Abdollahian also reportedly discussed bilateral trade and relations between Syria and Iran, common challenges, and the close cooperation between the two states in various fields, along with the latest developments regionally and internationally.

Iranian and Syrian state media quoted Assad as saying that "The strong relationship established over the past decades between Syria and Iran has today become a relationship that can be described as an alliance of wills in confronting the efforts to establish Western hegemony over the world."

Responding to the Syrian dictator’s words, Abdollahian praised Assad's recent visit to Tehran, which he said, "marked a major turning point, and had profound consequences for relations between the two countries," further stressing his country's "steadfast position in supporting Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

On the subject of Turkey’s mooted incursion into northern Syria, the Iranian foreign minister asserted that "Turkish officials now prefer to pursue the political track with Damascus to allay its security concerns in northern Syria," adding that he had spoken with "Syrian officials in Damascus and assured them that Iran would make efforts to prevent a military conflict between Syria and Turkey," instead focusing on a political solution.

Speaking during a joint press conference held with his Syrian opposite number Faisal Miqdad the same day, Abdollahian said that Turkey "prefers a political solution to the problem of its security concerns in northern Syria.”

Turning to his talks with Turkish officials in the context of Iranian mediation between Damascus and Ankara, the Iranian FM said: "A few days ago I was in Ankara, and I spoke to Turkish officials, and I confirmed that the solution lies in conducting a dialogue between the security officials of both Turkey and Syria... What I understood from Turkish officials say they are prioritizing a political solution to resolve these concerns."

It should be noted that the Assad regime is militarily and financially dependent on its allies in Iran and Russia for its own survival.