Assad's foreign minister to visit Iran this week

TEHRAN: Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem will visit Tehran this week for a conference on combating extremism that will also be attended by his Iraqi counterpart, Iranian state media said Sunday.

Moallem was set to meet with Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, who has already arrived in Tehran, as well as Iran's diplomacy chief Mohammad Javad Zarif at Monday's conference, said IRNA news agency.

Iran is the main regional ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Tehran has acknowledged sending military advisers to assist his forces in their fight against armed rebels and jihadist militants.

It has also assisted Baghdad politically and militarily in its fight against extremists from ISIS that currently controls swathes of Iraq and Syria.

Tehran is not part of the U.S.-led international coalition carrying out air strikes against ISIS in both countries.