WarSclerotic

Syrian President Bashar Assad on Sunday authorized Iraqi forces to attack the Islamic State group inside Syria without waiting for permission from Damascus, state news agency SANA reported.

The announcement, which comes as the region prepares for the planned U.S. withdrawal from Syria, highlights the close relations between the two neighboring Arab countries, both of which are allied with Iran. The Islamic State group once controlled large parts of both countries and declared a caliphate there in 2014.

Iraqi warplanes and artillery have in the past pounded Islamic State positions inside Syria after receiving permission from Syrian authorities.

The extremists have been defeated in Iraq but still hold a small area in eastern Syria close to the Iraqi border.

On Saturday, Assad received a letter from Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi calling for coordination between the two countries in “fighting terrorism.”

Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement that the U.S. will withdraw all its 2,000 troops from Syria. The U.S.-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have expressed concerns that the U.S. pullout could lead to the revival of Islamic State, saying that the extremists have not been defeated yet in Syria.

Meanwhile, as the war in Syria begins to wind down, Iran and Syria signed a long-term strategic and economic agreement in Tehran on Sunday.

Iran and Russia have been the main backers of Assad’s government since the civil war there began nearly eight years ago, and together with some Arab countries, including the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, have helped the Assad regime regain control of large parts of the country.

SANA news agency quoted Syrian Economy and Foreign Trade Minister Mohammed Samer al-Khalil, who signed the agreement, as saying that the deal includes “full cooperation on the financial and banking levels.” He said this would allow Iranian companies to be present through investments in Syria.

The Syrian government estimates that reconstruction of the war-torn country will cost some $200 billion and take 15 years.

Al-Khalil said that “priority in the reconstruction of Syria will be given to Iranian public and private companies,” according to SANA.

SANA also reported that a technical delegation from the UAE visited Damascus International Airport to evaluate it in preparation for the resumption of flights between the UAE and Syria.