Tasnim – Senior adviser to the Iranian foreign minister for special political affairs Ali Asghar Khaji and the Russian president’s special envoy to the Middle East, Mikhail Bogdanov, held talks on a range of issues, including the latest developments in the Middle East.

In the meeting, held in Moscow on Tuesday, Khaji and Bogdanov exchanged views about the current regional developments, including ways to help end the human tragedy in Yemen caused by the Saudi-led war.

The Iranian and Russian diplomats also discussed the latest developments in Syria and the campaign against terror groups in the Arab country.

Iran and Russia have formed a strong alliance in recent years, with both supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s legitimate government against foreign-backed militancy.

Conflicts erupted in Syria back in 2011, when a small group of opposition forces took up arms against Damascus.

Soon, however, a mix of international terrorists and paid mercenaries mingled with and then largely sidestepped the armed Syrian opposition groups, effectively turning the Arab country into a battlefield for foreign governments opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

But the Syrian military, with advisory military help from Iran and Russia — and a Russian aerial bombardment campaign — has retaken control of much of the country, and the conflict is generally believed to be winding down.