Iran foreign minister to meet Assad in Syria on Monday

• Iran, along with Russia, is one of the Damascus government's main allies in the war that has ravaged Syria since 2011.
• Zarif plans to travel to Damascus for a one-day visit to discuss bilateral relations, regional developments and Syria's "fight against terrorism".

TEHRAN: Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Monday, Tehran said over the weekend, in what would be their first official meeting in a year.

Zarif plans to travel to Damascus for a one-day visit to discuss bilateral relations, regional developments and Syria's "fight against terrorism", the foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

Zarif will also meet his Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem, it added.

Iran, along with Russia, is one of the Damascus government's main allies in the war that has ravaged Syria since 2011.

Zarif previously met Assad during a visit to Damascus in April last year.

The Syrian conflict has killed more than 380,000 people and displaced millions.