Iran's president lands in Syria for rare meeting with Assad

DAMASCUS (AP) — Iraninan President Ebrahim Raisi landed in Damascus Wednesday on the first visit by an Iranian head of state to the war-wracked country in over a decade. Tehran has been a main backer of President Bashar Assad's government since an uprising turned into a full-blown war in March 2011 and has played an instrumental role in turning the tide in his favor. Iran has sent scores of military advisers and thousands of Iran-backed fighters from around the Middle East to fight on Assad's side. With the help of Russia and Iran, Syrian government forces have controlled large parts…