Syrian President, Bashar Assad, left, gestures, during an official meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in Tehran

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for closer cooperation with Syria, as both countries face continuing diplomatic pressure from Western governments.

Mr. Ahmadinejad's comments Sunday in Tehran came in a joint news conference with visiting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The Iranian news agency quotes Mr. Ahmadinejad as saying common threats require more bilateral cooperation to protect the Middle East from foreign aggression.

Both governments remain on a U.S. list of countries supporting terrorism, and Washington accuses both countries of failing to stop Islamic insurgents from crossing their borders into Iraq. Additionally, the United States and European governments accuse Iran of seeking to build atomic weapons.

Both governments deny the charges.