Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman: American Presence in Syria Was a Mistake from the Beginning

In response to the announcement of the withdrawal of American forces from Syria, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman described their presence in the region as 'provocative and inflammatory,' stating that it 'has yielded nothing but tension, insecurity, and exacerbation of conflicts.' Bahram Qasemi, on Saturday, January 1, responded to reporters' questions regarding the announcement of the withdrawal of American forces from Syria, stating that their presence in the region 'has always been a primary factor of instability and insecurity.' He added that 'a thorough examination of the history of regional developments over recent decades shows that the presence of foreign elements under various pretexts in this important and sensitive region has yielded nothing but tension, insecurity, and exacerbation of conflicts.' On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the presence of American forces in Syria was no longer necessary, following their success in combating ISIS, thus initiating the complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria. Reports had previously emerged regarding Washington's intention and planning for the withdrawal of all American forces from Syria. However, the announcement of the decision to withdraw American forces from Syria has sparked numerous reactions, mostly negative. Among them, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that his country's fight against the military presence of Iran in Syria 'will intensify.' While Washington's allies have criticized this action, Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed the U.S. decision. Additionally, one day after the announcement, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis announced that he would resign in two months. Although Mr. Mattis did not directly reference the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Syria in his resignation letter, the timing of these two events has intensified speculation that one of the reasons for the resignation of the U.S. Secretary of Defense was the announcement of the withdrawal of American troops from Syria. The U.S. announced in September 2014 the formation of a coalition of 40 countries against ISIS, which it led, with Iran not being among these countries. This coalition has since conducted military operations intermittently in Iraq and Syria. Iran and Russia are the main supporters of Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria and have managed to turn the tide in favor of Syrian forces in the war against Damascus's opponents since 2015 through military operations and advisory assistance. The presence of Iranian forces in Syria has always been criticized by the U.S. government, which views it as interference in the internal affairs of the country. Iran and Russia claim they are present in the country at the request of the 'legitimate Syrian government.'