Syrian leader in Iran as nuclear deadline looms

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad smiles during a news conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris, July 12, 2008.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad held talks with his Iranian counterpart in Tehran on Saturday, a few weeks after he told France he would use his good relations with Iran to help resolve its nuclear stand-off with the West.

Assad's two-day visit to Iran coincides with an informal deadline set by Western officials in the dispute over Tehran's atomic plans, which the United States suspects are aimed at making bombs. The Islamic Republic says its aims are peaceful.

He met Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and was expected to hold talks with Iran's highest authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iranian media reported.

Assad and Ahmadinejad stressed "the importance of cooperation between the two Middle Eastern countries with the intention of strengthening the stability and the security of the region," state broadcaster IRIB said.

Ahmadinejad in May called for closer defense ties between the two countries, which the United States accuses of sponsoring terrorism.

Western powers gave Iran two weeks from July 19 to respond to their offer to hold off from imposing more U.N. sanctions on Iran if it in return freezes any expansion of its nuclear work, with the aim of getting preliminary talks started between the two sides.

That would suggest a deadline of Saturday, but Iran, which has repeatedly ruled out curbing its nuclear program, has dismissed the idea that it had two weeks to reply.

The West accuses Iran of seeking to build nuclear warheads under cover of a civilian power program. Iran, the world's fourth-largest oil producer, denies the charge.

Visiting Paris last month, Assad said he would respond to French President Nicolas Sarkozy's request and use his good relations with Iran to help resolve the nuclear row.

He also said in the French capital on July 14 that a military attack on Iran over its nuclear program would have grave consequences for the United States, Israel and the world.

Washington says it wants a diplomatic solution to the dispute but has not ruled out military action if that fails.

(Writing by Fredrik Dahl; editing by Andrew Roche)