Iran MP: FM did not know about Assad's visit

Iranian MP Elias Hazrati said that Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who has resigned from his post, was not aware of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s visit to Tehran, describing this as a “very bad” situation.

“The Foreign Minister’s lack of knowledge about an important foreign policy issue is very bad. Bashar Al-Assad visits Tehran, but the Foreign Minister does not know, that is too bad,” Hazrati added.

He stressed that the Foreign Minister should participate in the meetings that local authorities hold with foreign officials.

Hazrati pointed out that Zarif had not been invited to take part in the meeting between Al-Assad and Iranian leader Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani.

READ: Iran warns Israel against further air strikes in Syria

Al-Assad arrived in Tehran on Monday for the first official visit since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011 and met both Rouhani and Khamenei.

His meeting with Khamenei caused controversy because only the Iranian flag was on display.

Iran has backed Al-Assad during the eight-year crisis and has recently agreed to rebuild 200,000 homes in Damascus.

Zarif announced his resignation on Monday and stressed via his Instagram account that he would not be able to continue his job as a foreign minister. However Rouhani yesterday rejected the letter.

READ: Iran to build 200,000 housing units in Syria