Syria's interim president says the now departed Iranian forces were damaging to his country and also posed a threat to the wider Middle East.
Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa performs a pilgrimage in Islam's holiest city, Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 3.DAMASCUS, Syria – Syria's interim president said Iranian militias that previously operated in the country were not only harmful to it, but also a threat to the wider region.
"The presence of Iranian militias under the previous regime posed a strategic threat to the entire region," said Sharaa.Iran's once strong presence in Syria has almost entirely vanished. Iranian forces fled as Assad was overthrown in December, and the country's embassy in Damascus remains shuttered.
The new Syrian leader is pushing hard to rebuild ties that were badly strained or broken, starting with his neighbors.Sharaa traveled to Turkey on Tuesday for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who's expected to play a key role as Syria attempts to overcome the ravages of a civil war that lasted nearly 14 years.
Many Syrians are also calling for the U.S. and Europe to lift longstanding sanctions placed on the country, saying the punitive measures were imposed against the former Assad regime, and should now be removed. In a country that's been under authoritarian rule for most of its modern history, Sharaa said the future Syria will not be dominated by one person.
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