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Assad slams US policy as destabilizing factor in the Middle East

According to the Syrian president’s office, Assad condemned Washington’s decision to add the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to the list of foreign terrorist organizations

© Michael Klimentiev/TASS

MOSCOW, April 16. /TASS/. The policy pursued by Washington is a destabilizing factor in the Middle East, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said during the talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday.

According to the Syrian president’s office, Assad condemned Washington’s decision to add the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to the list of foreign terrorist organizations. "The policy pursued by the United States can be considered a key destabilizing factor in the [Middle East] region," Assad said.

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For his part, Zarif denounced the US administration’s decision to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. He noted that the White House’s stance on the Golan Heights, the status of Jerusalem and the IRGC "attests to the failure of Washington’s policy in the Middle East and the American administration’s incapability."

The parties stressed that "Iran, Syria and their allies would continue to protect the rights and interests of their peoples despite the policies pursued by the US and some Western countries." They also discussed the upcoming round of Astana talks in Nur-Sultan, the president’s office reported.

Zarif arrived in Damascus on an official visit on Tuesday. This trip is related to preparations for a meeting of the Syrian ceasefire guarantor nations (Russia, Iran and Turkey) scheduled to be held in the capital of Kazakhstan on April 25-26. After Syria, the top Iranian diplomat plans to visit Turkey, where the Syrian settlement issue will be discussed as well.

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