US presence in Syria 'a mistake': Iran

A spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry has told state media the presence of US military forces in Syria was illogical and a mistake from the start.

Soldiers at a US position in Manbij town, north Syria, in April 2018.

US President Donald Trump has begun what will be a total withdrawal of US troops from Syria. (AAP)

Iran's foreign ministry says the US military presence in Syria has been "a mistake, illogical and a source of tension", in response to President Donald Trump's planned pull-out.

Trump has begun what will be a total withdrawal of US troops from Syria, saying they had succeeded in their mission to defeat Islamic State and were no longer needed in the country.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was on Saturday quoted by state media saying the US should never have been there.

"From the start, the entry and presence of American forces in the region has been a mistake, illogical and a source of tension, and a main cause of instability," Qasemi was quoted as saying.

Trump said in a tweet on Thursday that "Russia, Iran, Syria & many others are not happy" about the planned US withdrawal.

Iran, a key supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's civil war, has sent military "advisers" as well as military equipment and regional Shi'ite militias to fight anti-government groups.

Tehran has opposed the presence of foreign forces in Syria, except those - from Iran and Russia - which have been invited by the Assad government.


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Published 23 December 2018 2:26am
Source: AAP


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