WORLD / MID-EAST
Iran leader urges US to end presence in Syria
Published: Jul 20, 2022 08:58 PM
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Tuesday the US presence in the eastern Euphrates in Syria is not "justified" under any pretext, urging the Americans to leave the region, according to the official news agency IRNA.

Raisi made the remarks at a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Tehran after a trilateral meeting on the situation in Syria.

The Iranian president said during the seventh meeting of the three guarantors of the Astana format, the three countries underlined the necessity of respecting Syria's sovereignty and ensuring its territorial integrity.

He noted that the Americans' presence in eastern Euphrates is not justified and they must leave that region.

Raisi urged the delivery of international humanitarian aid to Syria to continue in order to help resolve Syrians' economic and livelihood problems.

At the press conference, ­Putin said that the Syrian crisis must be resolved through ­dialogue among Syrian parties and without external interference.

The three leaders agreed in the summit to continue their cooperation until terrorism is rooted out in Syria, he added.

Putin noted the Syrian government must regain control of the eastern Euphrates.

For his part, Erdogan hailed the Astana format as the most effective way to facilitate the peace process in Syria, calling for the acceleration of the political talks to help stabilize the Arab country.