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Assad to Araghchi: Iranian Response to Israel ‘Was Strong’

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi in Damascus on Saturday. (EPA)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi in Damascus on Saturday. (EPA)
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Assad to Araghchi: Iranian Response to Israel ‘Was Strong’

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi in Damascus on Saturday. (EPA)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi in Damascus on Saturday. (EPA)

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Damascus on Saturday, coinciding with an Israeli strike that targeted a car on the Homs-Hama road in northern rural Homs. Reports suggest that a prominent member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed in the attack.

Araghchi, along with his delegation, met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and other top officials, including Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Jalali and Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh.

According to a statement from the Syrian presidency, Assad praised Iran’s “strong response” to Israeli violations, stating it delivered a lesson to Tel Aviv and demonstrated the ability of the Axis of Resistance to counter Israel’s aggression. He also emphasized the strategic importance of the Syrian-Iranian relationship in facing regional challenges, further adding that Israel must cease its violent actions and return rightful territories to their owners.

Discussions between Assad and Araghchi focused on Israeli aggression in Lebanon and the need for regional support for the displaced Lebanese population.

The Iranian official reiterated his country’s commitment to supporting efforts for a ceasefire, particularly in Lebanon and Gaza, and stressed the importance of international coordination to halt the aggression. This follows earlier comments made by Araghchi in Beirut, where he pointed to Iran’s efforts to achieve a simultaneous ceasefire in both Lebanon and Gaza.

This was Araghchi’s first visit to Damascus since assuming office. Recently, analysts have highlighted growing differences between Iran and Syria on several issues, including Tehran’s limited economic and energy support for Damascus, which faces a severe economic crisis.

Furthermore, reports have suggested that Iran has reduced its military presence in Syria due to increased Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian forces and commanders since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.

During Araghchi’s visit, Syrian state media reported that air defenses intercepted hostile targets over western Homs, though details were not provided. Local sources reported the death of one person and the injury of three others in a drone strike on a car in the Homs area.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the attack, noting that it targeted one Syrian and two foreign nationals, including a commander.

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Lebanese Judge Questions Former Top Security Chiefs over Beirut Port Blast

FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2020 file photo, a drone picture shows the destruction after an explosion at the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)
FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2020 file photo, a drone picture shows the destruction after an explosion at the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)
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Lebanese Judge Questions Former Top Security Chiefs over Beirut Port Blast

FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2020 file photo, a drone picture shows the destruction after an explosion at the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)
FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2020 file photo, a drone picture shows the destruction after an explosion at the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)

The Lebanese judge investigating the massive 2020 Beirut port explosion questioned two former security chiefs on Friday, including a former head of the General Security Directorate who appeared in court for the first time since being summoned nearly four years ago, according to four judicial and two security officials.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. The hearings mark a rare breakthrough in the long-stalled probe, The Associated Press said.
Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim and former head of State Security Maj. Gen. Tony Saliba, are among several officials charged in connection with the blast that killed over 220 people. The specific charges have not been disclosed.​
Ibrahim appeared in court for the first time, where Judge Tarek Bitar questioned him about the operations of the General Security Directorate during his tenure and requested related documents, which Ibrahim’s lawyer is expected to submit next week.
Ibrahim, who headed the General Security Directorate between 2011 and 2023, is known for wide connections with local, regional and international figures, including the Iran-backed militant Hezbollah group, the Syrian government and Western nations, making him a key political mediator.
Ibrahim’s attorneys said in a statement that the former General Security chief appeared in court despite having previously filed a legal challenge against Judge Bitar and despite claiming that he was immune from prosecution.
His attorneys said he appeared as a “mark of respect for the families of the martyrs and victims, his belief in justice and truth, and his commitment to upholding legal procedures and the course of justice.”
Saliba, appearing in court for the fourth time, cooperated with the hearing, providing documentation pertaining to his role at State Security. After the hearing, Saliba described the proceedings as “positive" in a statement.
On Aug. 4, 2020, hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate detonated in a Beirut Port warehouse, killing at least 218 people, injuring more than 6,000 and devastating large swaths of the capital. The blast, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history, caused billions of dollars in damage and sent shockwaves through the nation’s capital.
Following years of political obstruction, Bitar resumed the stalled investigation in mid-January, questioning port and customs employees, retired military officials, the former head of port security, the former army intelligence director, and 12 witnesses.
This development coincides with significant political changes in Lebanon, including the election of Joseph Aoun as president and the appointment of Nawaf Salam as prime minister. Both are perceived as outside the traditional political establishment, which includes many figures charged in the port explosion case.​
Several officials implicated in the investigation have accused Bitar of bias, refused to testify, and filed legal complaints against him.
Next week, Bitar is expected to question top former political leaders. Former Prime Minister Hassan Diab, who was in office at the time of the port explosion and is among those charged by Bitar, is scheduled to appear in court in May. His hearing will be followed by the questioning of four judges.
Meanwhile, a French delegation is expected to submit their findings from their investigation into the explosion later in April. France initiated its own probe into the explosion in 2020 after three French nationals were killed in the blast. However, French judges have faced obstacles accessing documents from the Lebanese investigation, which has been hindered by political interference.