Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said his country is capable of repulsing any aggression that might target its people thanks to the strength of its military and the awareness of its people, according to the state-media.

Assad made the remarks during his meeting Sunday with the head of Iran's supreme national security council, Saeed Jalili, who set foot in Damascus a day earlier for talks with Assad and top officials about the recent Israeli airstrike that targeted a Syrian military research center last Wednesday.

The state-run SANA news agency said the meeting touched upon the situation in the region, particularly after the recent Israeli attack.

During the meeting, Assad stressed that "this aggression reveals the real role Israel is playing in cooperation with external hostile powers and their tools on the Syrian ground to destabilize Syria."

He stressed that Syria with the awareness of its people and the strength of its army is capable of repelling any aggression that targets its people and their historical role, according to SANA.

Meanwhile, Jalili stressed his confidence in the "wisdom" of the Syrian leadership in dealing with this "wanton aggression that targets the leading role of Syria in the resistance axe," stressing that his country's full support to Syria in the face of the "Zionist enemy."

He also reiterated Iran's keenness on the ongoing coordination with Syria to fend off foreign plots that aim to undermine the security in the region, SANA said.

Jalili also repeated his country's line that it supports the vision of President Assad for a political solution for Syria, as the sole way to end the long-standing conflict.

After meeting with Assad, Jalili held a meeting with Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, sources told Xinhua.

Although the details surrounding the rare air raid are still murky, Syria threatened Thursday to retaliate for the brazen attack, and its main regional ally Iran said there will be repercussions for the Jewish state over the air raid.

Israel confirmed the airstrike on Sunday by its defense minister, Ehud Barak, at a time the United Nations called for self- restraint.

Syria said the bombed facility in Jurmaya had been repeatedly targeted by rebels who failed to storm it, adding that Israel did what the rebels could not.

Some U.S. officials said the Israeli airstrike targeted a convoy carrying anti-aircraft weapons and heading form Syria to Lebanon, while Syria denied the claim and said the air raid targeted a research center for scientific purposes.

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