Both Imposing Sanctions, Iranian Foreign Ministers And Syrian Foreign Ministers Prepare Big Steps Against The United States

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (second from left). (Source Wikimedia Commons Khamenei.ir)

JAKARTA - Iran's new Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, arrived in Damascus, Syria on Sunday local time and met with Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad.

During a visit to Syria, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian vowed Tehran and Damascus would take major steps, to confront sanctions imposed by the United States on the two regional allies.

"The leadership of the two countries will jointly take major steps to confront economic terrorism and reduce pressure on our people," Amir-Abdollahian quoted AP's Sputnik as saying, without elaborating on what steps to take Monday, August 30.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian described Syria as a 'land of resistance', praising the way Tehran and Damascus could work together on the ground and achieve common victories.

Both countries are under pressure because of crippling US sanctions, blocking their participation in the global financial architecture and also on the US State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Washington imposed sanctions on Tehran following the withdrawal of former US President Donald Trump from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018. Meanwhile, Syria is under sanctions from the US and the European Union as a means to pressure the Syrian Government into allowing what Western countries do. described it as a 'democratic transition as the Syrian people demand'.

US sanctions on Iran have caused fuel shortages in Syria, fueling the country's economic problems, as Damascus relies on Iranian oil shipments. Syria has suffered multiple attacks over the past two years, with Damascus and Tehran noting Israel was most likely responsible.

To note, Iran's Foreign Minister met with his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad, shortly after their participation in a Middle East conference on Iran's behalf, with officials from within the region discussing ways to defuse regional tensions.