Iran stresses role in Syria amidst regime's rapprochement with Turkey, UAE

The Emirati-Syrian and Turkish-Syrian rapprochement in the past weeks did not go unnoticed by Iran, which was notably absent from the two events.

The Iranian absence lasted only a short time until the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanaani, announced that his country was considering the invitations from Syria and Turkey for Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi to visit both neighboring countries.

"Our role in Syria is clear, and Iran supports the Syrian government and contributes to the stability of the Syrian land. Iran's role is still prominent and essential in the Syrian issue," Kanaani added. 

Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi's visit to Syria and Turkey comes within the framework of consolidating Tehran's role in the region and discussing other files related to the two countries in all fields, according to some observers.

But before Kanaani's announcement, Syria and Iran communicated through the Iranian Foreign Ministers, Hussein Amir Abdollahian and the Syrian Faisal Mekdad.

Mekdad praised the effective Iranian role in helping Syria at various levels, especially in the Astana format meetings, which included Turkey, Russia, Iran, parties from the Syrian opposition, and the regime, which achieved accolades on the ground.

Abdullahian, in turn, stressed the importance of continuing coordination and consultation between the two countries, maintaining the continuous push in bilateral relations, and exchanging views between the stakeholders in the two countries on various events in the regional and international arenas.

In conclusion, there have been indirect messages on the call regarding the relationship between Damascus and Tehran. Therefore, did the Iranian message reach those who considered that the recent Turkish-Syrian and Emirati-Syrian reconciliation is aimed at limiting Tehran's influence in Damascus and Syria's return to the Arab embrace?