Syria’s deputy foreign minister has hailed Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement’s assistance to Damascus in its counter-terrorism fight, saying the pair’s withdrawal from the Arab country is not up for discussion.
“This topic is not even on the agenda of discussion, since it concerns the sovereignty of Syria. We cannot let anyone even raise this issue,” Faisal Mekdad told Russia’s Sputnik news agency on Wednesday.
He also said that those who demanded the pullout of the Iranian military advisers and Hezbollah forces from Syria “are considering the possibility of intervention in all parts of Syria, including the support of terrorists in Syria and elsewhere in the region.”
Iran offers Syria advisory military support in its fight against terrorism. Hezbollah forces have also been aiding the Syrian government clear areas bordering Lebanon from terrorist groups.
On Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threatened Iran with the “strongest sanctions in history” if it does not comply with a list of 12 US demands, including the withdrawal of “all forces under Iranian command throughout the entirety of Syria.”
Source » aljezeera