Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (L) greets Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (2nd L) in Damascus, Syria, on Jan. 15. Visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met Wednesday with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on regional challenges, such as terrorism and preparation for the Geneva II peace conference that aims to solve the Syrian conflict, state-run SANA news agency reported. (Xinhua/SANA)