“The US military presence in Syria is a violation of certain principles and laws of Syria, and the continued presence of terrorists in Syria is a result of the US presence in that country,” he said at a weekly press conference in Tehran on Monday.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman further argued that the Daesh terror group has never been a threat to the United States and its interests.
“If the purpose of the US military presence in Syria is to fight Daesh, then what is this group doing in Syria and how is the Tahrir al-Sham group operating in Syria?”, he noted, adding that swift action is need to stop the ongoing terrorist activities in Syria.
“The foreign minister started his trip from Syria yesterday and is in Turkiye today. Urgent action is needed to stop the activities of terrorists in Syria,” the spokesman said, in reference to the current regional tour by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The purpose of Araghchi's trip to Syria was to convey the message of Iran's support to Syrian authorities and to discuss the latest developments in the Arab country, Baghaei said.
At the diplomatic level, it is our duty and that of other countries to urge the international community to fight terrorism, which is the purpose of the top Iranian diplomat's trips to Syria and Turkiye, he added.
Turkiye is an important neighbor for Syria and has played a key role in the Astana process, the spokesman said, adding that it has also played a useful role in reducing tension in Syria.
Evacuation of Iranian consulate staff in Aleppo
Staff of the Iranian consulate in the Syrian city of Aleppo were evacuated on time, and “none of our colleagues were harmed”, Baghaei said, adding that any attack on diplomatic premises is prohibited based on international law.
Geneva meeting
The recent meeting in Geneva between Iran and E3, which is made up of the UK, France and Germany, was not limited to nuclear discussions, Baghaei stated, adding “we raised our various concerns with the European side” as well.
Regarding the nuclear issue, Iran has maintained that it is ready to interact in accordance with its commitments based on international law, he added.
Baghaei also explained that Araghchi’s participation in the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations summit in Portugal and numerous meetings with foreign ministers on the sidelines of this summit and discussions on important regional developments, especially focusing on stopping the genocide in Gaza and crimes in Lebanon, were among the developments in the past few days.
He also pointed out that the ECO summit in Mashhad will be held today (Monday) at the expert level and the main session will begin tomorrow.
Referring to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, the spokesman said, “With the coming of winter, the continuation of famine and the starvation of the people of Gaza is very painful and it is necessary to stop these crimes as soon as possible.”
Iran’s Constitution Day
The spokesman said that December 2 coincides with the anniversary of a 1979 referendum during which 99.5% of voters approved the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Constitution.
IRNA