Ali Khameni, a top adviser to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinajad, said Saturday that he expected Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to retain power in Syria. Khameini said that Assad would “rise up” against rebels fighting him, and against the U.S. and Western powers supporting them.

His comments came a day after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that “there is no doubt that Iran will do everything it can to defend the regime of President Assad.”