Iran backs Syria’s demand for withdrawal of ‘all illegal foreign forces’: Envoy

Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani says Tehran backs the Syrian government’s demand for the complete withdrawal of “all illegal foreign military forces” from the war-torn country.

Addressing a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria on Wednesday, Iravani argued that the illegal presence of foreign military forces has created favorable conditions for terrorist activities within Syria.

“The unhindered movement of terrorist groups, including Daesh, into Syrian territory, where foreign forces are illegally present, poses a serious threat to both regional and global peace and security,” he said.

“We support the legitimate demands of the Syrian Government for the complete withdrawal of all illegal foreign military forces from Syrian territory.”

The US deployed forces and military equipment in 2014 under the pretext of fighting the Daesh (ISIS) terrorist group.

American forces have sustained their illegal presence on Syrian soil, although Damascus and its allies defeated Daesh in late 2019. Damascus maintains the deployment is meant to plunder the country’s natural resources.

The Iranian envoy also said the occupation of certain areas in the Arab country by illegal foreign forces as well as the aggressions by the Israeli regime and terrorist groups inflicted sustained suffering upon the Syrian people.

“The Security Council must take a strong stance, condemning such egregious violations and compelling the Israeli regime to cease its aggressions and put an end to the occupation of the Syrian Golan,” he added.

The Golan Heights have been under Israeli occupation since 1967, when the regime launched a large-scale war against the regional Arab states, including Syria.

Tel Aviv has been using the territory as a launchpad for its acts of military aggression against the Arab nation ever since. Such attacks have intensified in recent months despite the Syrian government’s warnings.

The regime has been also using the occupied territory to provide safe passage and medical treatment for the anti-Syria Takfiri terrorists, who would flee there from the Syrian military's counter-terrorism operations.

On Monday, Israel launched airstrikes against the vicinity of the Syrian capital of Damascus, wounding a Syrian soldier and causing material damage in the area.

• Israel stages airstrikes against Syria, wounding soldier

“We strongly condemn the repeated aggressions and violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity by the Israeli regime,” Iravani said.

“These reprehensible acts, like the recent terrorist attacks on Damascus and its surrounding areas on August 21st, deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure, constitute a flagrant breach of international humanitarian law and the UN Charter. They also pose a grave threat to regional peace and stability.”

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