He made the remarks on his meeting with Syrian Defense Minister General Ali Abdullah Ayyoub on Monday evening in Tehran.
Hatami expressed gratitude for Syria’s condolence message after the martyrdom of Lt. Gen. Soleimani, saying, “Martyrdom of Lt. Gen. Qasem Soleimani did not put an end to the Resistance because the Resistance has become an ideology and discourse in the region.”
“If Lt. Gen. Shahid Suleimani, his companions, Syrian armed forces and people did not fight against terrorist groups, ISIL's domination of the region would be inevitable,” he said, adding, “Europe, Asia, and the United States owe their security to his sacrifice. He fought for peace; his power and belief alone was a deterrent to the excesses and hegemony of Western powers and the Zionist regime.”
Referring to the IRGC missile attack on US bases in Iraq, he said, “The missile strike on the base of Ain al-Assad was only an immediate action", adding that the least demand of people for the martyrdom of Lt. Gen. Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis is the US withdrawal from the region.
Syrian Defense Minister General Ali Abdullah Ayyoub, for his part, said that Haj Qassem Soleimani is considered as a role model for the Resistance and Syrian youths, and his name will remain in history forever.”
MNA/IRN 83632522