Syria's Assad: 'Confident' of continued Iranian and Russian support

DAMASCUS, Syria, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in a televised interview on Wednesday that he is confident he will receive continued support from Iran and Russia, two of his stalwart allies.

"We have strong confidence in the Russians, as they have proven throughout this crisis, for four years, that they are sincere and transparent in their relationship," Assad said in an interview with Hezbollah's al-Manar television network, as reported by BBC News.

Assad's comments came as Russia's President Vladimir Putin discussed the Syrian crisis with Arab leaders on the sidelines of the MAKS-2015 aerospace show in Moscow. Assad is one of Putin's closest clients in the region, and the Syrian leader said Russia is "principled," while "the United States abandons its allies, abandons its friends."

"This was never the case with Russia's policy, neither during the Soviet Union, nor during the time of Russia ... Russia has never said that it supported President Such and Such and then decided to abandon him," he added.

Iran and Russia have remained adamant that Assad must be a part of the political solution, in a conflict that has killed over 250,000 people, according to UN estimates.

Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy in the region, recently proposed a series of consultations between key parties as a means toward peace talks.