MOSCOW/BEIRUT: Syrian government allies declared military victory over Daesh (ISIS) Tuesday, as Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Syrian leader Bashar Assad for three hours of talks where they discussed potential new peace initiatives for post-war Syria. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani declared the end of Daesh while Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, senior commander of the elite Revolutionary Guard, thanked the “thousands of martyrs” killed in operations organized by Iran to overthrow the militant group in Syria and Iraq.

Soleimani also said Daesh had been defeated, in a message sent Tuesday to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who in turn congratulated the major general on the victory.

The Iranian comments came as Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Daesh had been defeated from a military perspective but he would only declare final victory after Daesh militants were routed in the desert, which he hoped will be “very soon.”

Meanwhile, on a surprise trip to Russia, Assad discussed potential new peace initiatives for post-war Syria with Putin who declared that Russia’s two-year military campaign in Syria is wrapping up, the Kremlin said.

Moscow released footage of Assad warmly embracing Putin, who hosted him in the Black Sea resort of Sochi Monday, ahead of a summit between Russia, Turkey and Iran and a new round of Syria peace talks in Geneva later this month.

“I passed on to [Putin] and all Russian people our greetings and gratitude for all of the efforts that Russia made to save our country,” Assad told Russia’s top brass in televised remarks.

The meeting in Sochi, which lasted three hours, preceded a summit between the presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey set for Wednesday at the same venue.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the Kremlin put any pressure on Assad to accept a new deal brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran – or whether that deal would involve Assad staying on as president once the war is over – but Assad signaled his intention to hold his ground in future Syria peace talks.

“We count on Russia’s support to keep foreign players from interfering into the political process,” he said during the talks with Putin.

Asked whether Putin and Assad have talked about the Syrian president’s future in post-war Syria, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said “possible options for political settlement have been discussed” and added that “only the Syrian people could determine Assad’s role.” Putin later called President Donald Trump to inform him about the talks with Assad, emphasizing that the Syrian leader said he would abide by a political settlement for Syria, including constitutional reform and the holding of parliamentary and presidential elections.

Putin also called Saudi King Salman to inform him of the main issues on the agenda of the Russia-Turkey-Iran talks Wednesday. They also discussed “long-term prospects for a Syrian settlement,” according to the Kremlin. Putin noted that Syria talks planned in Sochi and a meeting of Syrian opposition in Riyadh should help future talks in Geneva.

The Russian leader also later phoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to brief them on the talks with Assad and the planned trilateral meeting.

To prepare for Wednesday’s mini-summit, military chiefs of Russia, Turkey and Iran met in Sochi Tuesday and agreed to coordinate their efforts in Syria.

Sunday, Syrian troops and their allies captured the eastern town of Albukamal, the last major urban area held by Daesh in Syria, leaving the militants to defend just strips of desert territory and a besieged pocket outside Damascus.

With the Syrian government controlling most of the country and Daesh fighters in disarray, Putin said during the talks with Assad that Russia’s military campaign in Syria is wrapping up – though he made no mention of the Russian presence in Syria, which Moscow is not likely to give up.

Gen. Viktor Bondarev, former Russian air force chief who heads the defense affairs committee in the upper house of Russia’s Parliament, was quoted by the Tass news agency as saying that the military will keep its warplanes, as well as some ground troops and weapons in Syria.

Russian television showed footage of Putin and Assad entering a meeting with the top brass of Russia’s Defense Ministry and the General Staff.

“I asked the Syrian president to stop by,” Putin told the Russian generals. He then referred to Assad and said: “I would like to introduce you to people who played a key role in saving Syria.”