Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Syrian President Bashar Assad amid increased tensions between the United States and Iran.
Putin visited Syria, an ally of Iran, on Tuesday just days after the U.S. killed Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in an airstrike. Iran has vowed revenge for the death of the top general. The U.S. has troops based in eastern Syria, a potential target for Iran.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin and Assad met at a Russian command post in Damascus, according to the Associated Press. The two leaders were given military reports on the situation in Syria.
Putin last visited Syria in 2017 when he said Russia’s troops had accomplished their mission in the country. Russia has supported Assad and helped him regain control over most of the country during the Syrian civil war.
Last week, Russia condemned the killing of Soleimani, saying the move “is fraught with grave consequences for regional peace and stability.”
Soleimani repeatedly traveled to Moscow, violating a United Nations travel ban imposed on him in 2007 as part of sanctions targeting the regime’s nuclear weapons program.
