Syrian President Bashar Assad paid an unexpected visit to Tehran on Sunday for talks with President Mohammad Khatami , state-run Tehran radio reported.The broadcast gave few details about the previously unannounced visit, but said Assad was accompanied by Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa. In Damascus, Syria's state-run news agency confirmed the visit and said Vice President Abdul-Halim Khaddam also accompanied Assad.

"President Assad arrived in Tehran a few minutes ago and immediately went into talks with his Iranian counterpart," Tehran radio said. "The talks focus on regional issues."

Assad was scheduled to travel to Iran in January to discuss the Iraq  crisis, but his visit was postponed indefinitely. Both countries, neighbors of Iraq, strongly oppose a U.S. military invasion.

Iran recently proposed a plan to avert war that called for U.N.-supervised elections and for the divided Iraqi opposition to reconcile with President Saddam Hussein . The plan, similar to one proposed earlier by the spiritual leader of the Lebanon-based Islamic militant group Hezbollah, has received little support in the region.

Syria is Iran's closest Arab ally. Both countries are strong foes of Israel and backers of Hezbollah, which the United States lists as a terrorist organization.

PHOTO CAPTION

Iranian President Mohammad Khatami , right, shakes hands with his Syrian conterpart, Bashar Assad, at the start of their official meeting in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March. 16, 2003. (AP Phot