Iran's leader hails Russia's stance on Syria

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday hailed what he called President Vladimir Putin's "measures and decision" on Syria which have led to the "enhancement of Russia's regional and international status," Iran's leader's website reported.

"If the terrorists in Syria are not confronted and suppressed, the scope of their crimes and destructive work will be spread to the central Asia and other parts of the world," Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting with the visiting Russian president.

"The persistence of the Americans for the ouster of the legal Syrian President Bashr al-Assad is the loophole in the policies of Washington," he said, adding that "the (incumbent) president of Syria enjoys the vote of the Syrians from every political, religious as well as ethnic group, and the United States has no right to ignore the Syrians' vote."

Every solution about Syria should take into consideration the consensus of the Syrian people and officials, he added.

For his part, Putin called for cooperation between Tehran and Moscow to politically settle the ongoing crisis in Syria.

He also said no country should impose its will on the political structure of the country.

Those who claim for democracy cannot ignore the vote of the Syrian people, he said, emphasizing the continuation of Russia's air strikes against the terrorists in the country.

Tehran and Moscow are the regional allies of the Assad government in Syria's long-lasting conflict.

Putin arrived here Monday on a visit to focus on the Syria crisis and energy cooperation between Moscow and Tehran. Endit