![Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javid Zarif wore face masks for their meeting in Damascus on 20 April, 2020 [Twitter]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ZARIF.png?resize=1200%2C800&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
A senior adviser to Iran's parliament speaker on Sunday denied reports about reaching an agreement with Russia on the removal of Bashar al-Assad from power in Syria, Anadolu reports.
In a tweet, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian described al-Assad as "the legitimate president of Syria."
"Report of a deal between Iran and Russia for his resignation is a big lie and a game by the US-Zionist media," Amir-Abdollahian said.
"Tehran strongly supports the sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity of Syria," he added.
Iran is a strong ally of al-Assad regime, the forces of which have been fighting opposition groups in a deadly civil war since 2011.
Since then, hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have been killed and millions more displaced by the conflict.
Hezbollah's Nasrallah: Israel DM an 'idiot' over claims Iran withdrawing from Syria
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