Syria’s Assad says Iran’s attack on Israel taught it ‘lesson’ Araghchi’s visit to Damascus is his first since he took office in August DAMASCUS: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi renewed his call for ceasefires in both Gaza and Lebanon on Saturday as he held talks with his country’s Syrian ally. “The most important issue today is the ceasefire, especially in Lebanon and in Gaza,” he told reporters. “There are initiatives in this regard, there have been consultations that we hope will be successful.” Syrian President Bashar Assad said Iran’s second-ever missile attack on Israel this week was a “lesson” for Israel. The missile attack on Tuesday evening, just days after Israel killed the leader of Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, was “a strong response and taught the Zionist entity a lesson,” Assad was quoted as saying as Araghchi visited Damascus. Araghchi’s visit to Damascus, his first since he took office in August, comes almost a year after Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel, triggering war in Gaza. The conflict has also drawn in Iran’s Lebanese ally, Hezbollah and on September 23 Israel sharply intensified its campaign against the militant group. “The purpose of my trip to Damascus is to continue consultations regarding the developments in the region,” Araghchi said. His meetings in the Syrian capital follow a visit to Beirut Friday during which he voiced support for a truce in Lebanon acceptable to Hezbollah “simultaneously with a ceasefire in Gaza.” Araghchi traveled to Damascus by air after Lebanon said an Israeli air strike on Friday severed the main international highway linking the two countries. Israel said its strike was aimed at preventing the flow of weapons to Hezbollah from neighboring Syria. Iran has been a staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad throughout the civil war that erupted in 2011 following the suppression of anti-government protests.