Iran's Rouhani congratulates Syria's Assad on election victory

FILE PHOTO: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council In Yerevan, Armenia October 1, 2019. Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on Friday congratulated Syria's Bashar al-Assad on winning a fourth presidential term, according to an Iranian presidential website.

"I sincerely congratulate you on the successful conduct of the elections and your re-election as President of the Syrian Arab Republic," Rouhani said in a statement to Iran's close ally Assad.