Historically, Iran and Russia have been allies for years, with the two countries supporting Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said his country and Syria should expand their cooperation to overcome political and economic pressure from the U.S. and Europe.
The salary increase, covering state employees, retirees, and military personnel, is the ninth since 2011, when the Syrian war broke out.
In recent years, Syria’s authoritarian ruler Bashar al-Assad had insisted on closing border crossings to regain influence over rebel-held parts of the country.
“What the West is doing against Russia today is similar to what it did against Syria during the terrorist war,’’ Syria foreign minister was quoted as saying.
