Iran welcomes new government in Syria

Iran’s Foreign Ministry welcomes the formation of new government in Syria, heaping praise on the Syrians for their resistance against foreign-backed terrorists.

“Throughout more than three years of crisis, Syria managed to resist the terrorist aggression backed by certain foreign countries thanks the people’s support and resistance as well as the solidarity between the army and popular forces,” Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said on Monday.

She expressed hope that Syria would successfully settle the ongoing crisis through national unity and consensus.

Afkham’s remarks come one day after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s new government was sworn in.

Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi heads the new cabinet, which consists of 11 new ministers, while other ministerial posts, including the foreign and defense ministers, remain unchanged.

Assad was re-elected as the country’s president for a third term in June’s election, garnering 88.7 percent of the votes.

Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since 2011, with ISIL Takfiri terrorists currently controlling parts of it in the east.

More than 191,000 people have been killed in over three years of fighting in the war-ravaged country.