Assad says he's open to establishing Iranian bases in Syria

In an interview with Iranian-funded, Arabic news channel Al-Alam, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad discussed a wide range of issues, including the Iranian presence in the southern part of his country and the possibility of visiting Tehran soon.

The interview started with questions about southern Syria, which has become contentious and a source of media speculation regarding stories about the possibility of Russia-Israel negotiations to block Iranians from having a presence anywhere in that area. Assad said the choice in the south has been the same as all over: Either make peace with the armed groups or “resort to force.” He blamed Israel and the United States for supporting what he called “terrorists” and for the lack of an agreement so far.