Iranian foreign minister meets Assad: Diplomatic source

DAMASCUS - Agence France-Presse

Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi speaks during his joint news conference with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh in Amman May 7. REUTERS photo

Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, whose country is one of Syria's closest allies, held talks with President Bashar al-Assad on a previously unannounced visit to Damascus on May 7, an Iranian diplomatic source said.

"Salehi arrived in Damascus from Amman and was received by President Bashar al-Assad," the source said.

In the Jordanian capital, Iran's top diplomat called for dialogue between the Syrian regime and "peaceful" opposition groups, warning that the impact of the conflict would affect the entire region.

Salehi's visit comes after Israel reportedly carried out two separate attacks against Syrian sites last week.

Iran condemned those strikes and has said it is ready to train the Syrian army, which is in its third year of a conflict against rebels seeking to overthrow Assad.