(CNSNews.com) - Iranian Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei warned the U.S. that Iran is against any kind of foreign intervention in Syria, and said Iran will stand behind Syria because of their shared animosity towards Israel.

“The Islamic Republic will defend Syria because of its support for the resistance line against the Zionist regime [of Israel] and is vehemently opposed to any intervention of foreign forces in Syria,” Khamenei said in a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday.

Irna’s Supreme Leader applauded the “reforms” that Syrian President Bashar Assad has already put in place, and vowed to oppose any U.S.- led effort to intervene in Syria -- advising other Islamic countries to make “correct decisions” regarding the interests of the region.

“The Americans recognize no nation as an independent nation,” he said in comments reported by Press TV, the official government-run Islamic Republic Broadcasting Network. “The Americans treat all countries in this [instrumental] way, and therefore the interests of Islamic countries should be taken into account in decision-makings.”

Khamenei and Erdogan met on Thursday to discuss a wide range of issues that included the current unrest in Syria. The meeting between the Ayatollah and Erdogan among other Turkish leaders took place in a “positive atmosphere,” according to Turkish officials.

An estimated 9,000 people have been killed since the uprisings began against the Assad regime last year. The US has labeled Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism since 1979.

Former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, who is serving as a special envoy to Syria, said on Tuesday that Assad accepted a six-point peace plan, but opposition leaders are still skeptical of his intentions. Annan is scheduled to visit Tehran next week to discuss the situation in Syria.

After meeting with the Ayatollah, Erdogan also met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as part of a two day trip to Tehran, before returning to Ankara on Thursday. (copyright 1998-2012 Cybercast News Service 03/29/12)