Iranian Defense Minister Stresses Withdrawal of US Occupying Forces from Syria
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiani and his Syrian counterpart, Lieutenant General Ali Mahmoud Abbas, met in Tehran on Wednesday, where he condemned the presence of American forces in Syria as "destabilizing."
Ashtiani called for the immediate withdrawal of all "occupying forces" from the country, particularly the American occupiers, stressing the need to respect Syria's territorial integrity.
The US military has stationed forces and equipment in northeastern Syria for years, claiming the deployment is aimed at preventing oilfields in the area from falling into the hands of Daesh terrorists, while Damascus maintains the deployment is meant to plunder the country's rich mineral resources and destabilize the country.
Ashtiani also addressed the Israeli regime's aggression against Syria, pointing out that Israel only understands the language of force and should not be allowed to make further aggression against Syria. Israel frequently launches airstrikes against Syria, with the most recent attack occurring early on Sunday, killing at least five people, including a soldier, and injuring 15 others.
The Iranian defense minister described Syria as a major member of the resistance front and called for efforts to boost the Arab country's defense power.
The Syrian minister, for his part, praised Iran's role in supporting the efforts of the resistance front to safeguard West Asia security and vowed to increase cooperation with Tehran.
Iran maintains an advisory mission in Syria at the official request of the Damascus government to assist the Arab country in the battle against terrorism.
