Syria's alliance with the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Iran–Iraq War again strained relations at the beginning of the 1980s. Syria's Assad paid a visit to Riyadh on 22 December 1981. When King Fahd became the ruler of Saudi Arabia in 1982 he developed a special bond with Assad that continued throughout his reign. In October 1989, both countries actively supported the Taif agreement that reestablished Lebanon's political system and ended the Lebanon civil war.