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resumed religious pilgrim tripsÌýto on Sunday,Ìýenabling its nationals toÌývisitÌýÌýin Damascus, according to state-runÌýFars news agency.

Two weekly flights from Tehran International Airport to Damascus resumed, allowing IraniansÌýto visit the shrines of SayyidaÌýZainab and SayyidaÌýRuqayya - the head of Iran's Hajj andÌýPilgrimage OrganisationÌýAli-Reza Rashidian said.

"The Hajj and Pilgramage Organisation has allocated two weekly flights to Damascus from Tehran International Airport to visit the shrines of Sayyida Zainab and Sayyida Ruqayya," Rashidian told Fars news agency.

The first batch ofÌý25 touristsÌýheaded from Shia-majority Iran to Syria's historic capital on Sunday as part of an "implementation of agreements previously concluded" with the Syrian regime, according to the agency.

Iran has backed SyrianÌýÌýin the country's whereÌýoverÌý500,000 civilians were killed, mostly civilians from regime attacks.Ìý

Iran and Syria agreedÌýto resume religious pilgrim tours last November when it was agreed that Tehran would send 100,000 Iranian tourists to the war-torn country inÌýthe first phase of the deal.

At the time, Syrian Minister ofÌýTourism MuhammadÌýRami MartiniÌýexpressed his desire to "conduct the trips quickly"Ìýas his ministry encourages "Syrian tourism offices to receive Iranian tourists".

The Syrian regime said it would ensure the safety of Iranian visitors in the capital, following bloody attacks on

Pilgrimages partially resumed in 2019 but were put to a stop after the outbreak of the .

Tehran and Damascus removed travel visas for itsÌýcitizens to facilitate tourism in 2009, but the outbreak of the Syrian war put an end to the trips.