Tasnim � Head of the Strategic Research Center of Iran's Expediency Council Ali Akbar Velayati highlighted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad�s major role in recent advances of the Arab country�s army and allied forces against foreign-backed terrorist groups.

Speaking at a meeting with Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad in Tehran on Wednesday, Velayati offered his congratulations over recent victories of the Syrian nation against terrorists in Deir ez-Zor and other eastern parts of the country.

�The Americans have been defeated in Syria and Iraq and their defeats will continue,� he said, adding that the Zionists� have also been frustrated in their attempts to carry out their plots in the Middle East region.

�The bravery and prudence of Bashar al-Assad has always been appreciated by Muslim and revolutionary nations ,� said Velayati, who is also a top adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.

Mekdad, for his part, praised Iran�s support for Syria and said his trip to the Islamic Republic reflects the reality of close relations between Tehran and Damascus.

Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with various terrorist groups, including Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL), currently controlling parts of it.

According to a report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country�s pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.

In the meantime, Iran has remained a close ally of Syria and supports its legitimate government in the face of foreign-backed militancy.

Tehran insists that the Syrian nation is the only side that has the right to shape the future of its own country, rejecting foreign intervention with the use of force.