BEIRUT: Iranian state media says Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has arrived in Syria to meet with President Bashar Assad as Syrian forces and their allies prepare for an assault on the last opposition stronghold in the country. Iran’s IRNA news agency says Zarif landed in Damascus on Monday for a one-day visit. He was received by Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Al-Meqdad. Iran has lent broad military and economic support to Assad throughout the seven-year civil war. Assad has vowed to defeat the opposition in its last refuge in northwestern Syria if the rebels do not surrender to government rule. The leaders of Iran, Turkey, and Russia are expected to meet in Iran this week to discuss the situation in Syria.