US urges Syria to curb Iran influence at UN meeting
The United States urged Syria’s interim authorities to prevent Iran and its allied groups from exploiting the country’s territory, while Iran accused Washington of worsening Syrians' suffering through sanctions, during a UN Security Council meeting on Friday.
"We will hold Syrian interim authorities accountable for the following steps to fully renounce and suppress terrorism, adopt a policy of non-aggression to neighboring states, exclude foreign terrorist fighters from any official roles, prevent Iran and its proxies from exploiting Syrian territory," said Dorothy Shea, the Deputy US representative to the United Nations in New York.
Iran’s representative Amir Saeid Iravani, in turn, said US sanctions were worsening the suffering of Syrians and hampering reconstruction.
Iran supports free elections and the formation of an inclusive government in Syria, Iravani added, calling for the immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces from Syria.
The Iranian envoy also warned that the presence of foreign forces undermines the country’s sovereignty and delays peace efforts.
