Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says the recent recapture of the strategic northwestern city of Aleppo from foreign-backed terrorists is a victory not just for his country, but also for its Russian and Iranian allies.

According to Press TV, Assad made the remarks in a meeting with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari and his accompanying delegation in Damascus on Thursday.

Aleppo’s liberation “is also a relapse for all the countries that are hostile towards the Syrian people and that have used terrorism as a means to realize their interests,” he said

The Syrian head of state also hailed the battlefield successes as a “basic step on the road to ending terrorism in the whole of Syrian territory and creating the right circumstances for a solution to end the war.”

Jaberi Ansari, for his part, briefed Assad on the ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at ending terrorism in Syria, particularly recent trilateral meetings between Iranian, Russian and Turkish officials.

He further noted that the strategic Tehran-Damascus relations have helped reinforce the two countries as well as other regional nations in the face of foreign plots.

The senior Iranian diplomat also highlighted Tehran’s determination to further strengthen relations with Syria and help the Arab nation stand against terrorism.

The Iranian official also held a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem, during which he congratulated the Syrian nation and government on the victories scored in fighting terror especially in Aleppo.

He further held talks with Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad, where he hailed the Aleppo liberation as a major victory achieved through the resistance of the Syrian nation and their allies against terrorism.

Jaberi described the recent Moscow meeting between Iranian, Turkish and Russian top diplomats as a positive step that could pave the way for settling the Syria conflict.

“Besides successes on the battlefield in confronting terrorism, we should take into account the humanitarian and political dimensions of the Syria crisis and adopt necessary measures in this regard,” he said.

Miqdad, for his part, said Tehran-Damascus relations have grown even beyond the strategic level.

In another development on Thursday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow was not discussing the future of President Assad in its talks with Iran and Turkey.