Iran, Syrian leaders say Israel on skids

TEHRAN, March 27 (UPI) -- The presidents of Iran and Syria say the world is tilting in favor of Muslim nations and that Israel will soon be on the losing side of the balance of power.

Both leaders maintained Israel was on the decline, as were its allies, while Iran and Syria remained bastions of strength in the Middle East.

Kuwait's KUNA news service reported Friday that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Bashar al-Assad of Syria spoke by phone Thursday and agreed that current world events were strengthening regional alliances and that nations should take advantage of new opportunities.

The Iranian Islamic Republic News Agency quoted Ahmadinejad saying, "The strong camp of the friendly countries like Iran and Syria is going to be triumphant."