Tehran, May 30 (IANS): Iranian President Hassan Rouhani congratulated his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad on his fourth seven-year term in last week's presidential election.

By high turnout in the presidential election, the Syrian people have taken a major step toward determining the fate and prosperity of their country, Rouhani was quoted as saying on Saturday.

The Iranian President regarded relations between the two countries as "friendly and brotherly" and expressed confidence that this relationship will further grow in the years to come, Xinhua news agency reported.

On May 27, Assad was re-elected for a fourth seven-year term with 95.1 per cent of the ballots in the election in government-held areas and dismissed by the opposition as a sham.

Three contenders, including Assad, ran in the May 26 polls, Syria's second presidential election since the country's civil war started in 2011.

The election was condemned as fraudulent by Syria's opposition as well as countries such as the US, the UK, France, Germany and Italy.

Assad, 55, has ruled Syria since 2000.

His father, Hafez al-Assad, governed Syria from 1971 to 2000.