Iran reacts to the US withdrawal from Syria, Turkey’s military offensive

Tabnak – For the third time since the start of his presidency, Donald Trump has announced an immediate withdrawal from Syria, a decision which have been faced with various reactions worldwide. Reacting to the reports on this issue, Iran reiterates that the US presence in Syria was illegal from the very beginning.

Iran has once again denounced Washington’s “illegitimate” military presence in Syria, saying the decision for the United States to pull its forces out should have been made a long time ago.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry expressed hope that Washington’s plan to withdraw its forces from the northern parts of Syria would contribute to the restoration of peace and stability to the Arab country.

Tehran believes the US should have made the decision to “end the occupation of Syrian territories and withdraw its military forces from the country much sooner.”

However, elsewhere in its statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Tehran was “closely monitoring the worrisome news of a possible entry of Turkish forces into Syria.”

The Islamic Republic, it added “is opposed to any possible military operation” because it believes such a move “would not only fail to soothe Turkey’s security concerns, but would also result in massive material and human losses.”

The Foreign Ministry also voiced Iran’s readiness to help arrange an immediate contact between Turkish and Syrian officials so they can ease the existing concerns peacefully.

It further stressed that any talks between the two sides need to be based on respecting Syria’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty as well as the 1998 Adana Interstate Agreement on Combating Terrorism.

In the same vein, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said yesterday that the United States is an "irrelevant occupier in Syria," stressing that peace will be achieved in the war-ravaged country only through respect for its territorial integrity and people‎.

"US is an irrelevant occupier in Syria—futile to seek its permission or rely on it for security," Zarif said in a post on his official Twitter account on Monday, after the US gave the green light to Turkey to launch a military operation in northern Syria.

"Achieving peace & fighting terror in Syria will only succeed thru respect for its territorial integrity & its people," he added.

It’s also reported that Turkey's foreign minister has assured his Iranian counterpart that Ankara's military operation in northern Syria, which began on Monday night, is a temporary one.

Turkey's Mevlut Cavusoglu gave the assurance in a Monday phone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, as Turkish troops started their operation against Syrian Kurds in the Arab country's north.

In the phone call with Zarif, Cavusoglu emphasized the need to respect Syria’s territorial integrity, saying Turkey’s operation in that region would be temporary.

The Iranian top diplomat, however, expressed Tehran's opposition to any military action, and urged Turkey to respect the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of the Arab country.

Zarif at the same time stressed the necessity of fighting terrorism in Syria for the ultimate establishment of stability and security at the country. However, he said the Adana Agreement is the best approach for Syria and Turkey to address their concerns.