TEHRAN – A senior advisor to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution on international affairs has said that the United States troops stationed in Eastern Euphrates in Syria will be forced to leave that region.

In an interview with the website of the office of the Leader, Ali Akbar Velayati said “the presence of the enemy within the territory of any country is condemned, and we will witness, God willing, and through the struggle of the Syrian people and government, that America will be forced to leave these areas,” Al Alam reported. 

Velayati added that when there is talk about the areas east of the Euphrates, it is related to the most important region of the Syrian lands, which are the widest and most important area in Syria in which the largest portion of strategic agricultural crops are produced. 

These lands are said to secure 80% of Syria's crops, and more importantly, the oil fields are located in these areas which produce about 300,000 barrels of oil per day that are exported, he noted. 

He continued, “The Americans continue to be there and not only they prevent the Syrian state from benefiting from its strategic areas, but also steal the Syrian oil wealth on a daily basis. Therefore, we see that his Eminence the Leader of the Islamic Revolution puts emphasis on the necessity of liberating the east of the Euphrates so that the interests of the Syrian state do not continue to be violated and robbed.”

On Turkish plans to invade northern Syria, Velayati predicted that such adventure will inevitably face resistance by people and the Syrian army.

This not only will not extinguish the flames of war in the region, but will also fan its flames, he warned. 

He added that the best way to solve this common problem, i.e. the issue of the presence of terrorists in northern Syria, is to negotiate between the countries of the region by respecting the right of Syrian sovereignty and for this reason, no distinction should be made between the terrorists in order to cleanse the region of the elements that disturb the security.

Velayati also referred to the tripartite summit in Tehran, as well as U.S. President Joe Biden's tour in the region, saying that this region has “paid tax” for decades of the wrong American policies and that Washington’s allies in this region have only suffered defeat and wasted their money.

However, the veteran politician said, America addresses these countries through its condescending logic as its former president, Donald Trump, says Saudi Arabia will not survive without “our support for only a few hours”. 

Trump also describes Saudi Arabia as dairy cows, as Riyadh always pays the price for American adventures from the pocket of Saudi people, he lamented, noting that America recently called on the Saudi kingdom to increase oil production to lower fuel prices at home, and Saudi Arabia has no choice but to bow.

“But on the other hand, there is a summit on the Astana process of three independent countries that observe their national interests and cooperate with each other to strengthen relations and solve regional problems, and God willing, they will achieve the desired results,” he added. “This is a very important matter. Fortunately, the countries of the region, especially the countries of the Persian Gulf, have realized the destructive atmosphere of cooperation with America and have taken the initiative to redefine their relations with Iran. This is a crucial stage for relations between the countries of the region, and we have repeatedly stressed that the way to solve the region's problems is through cooperation between its countries and without the presence of foreigners.”

On Tuesday, Ebrahim Raisi, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey, attended the 7th Summit of the Heads of Guarantor States of the Astana Process in Tehran. They emphasized their unshakable commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, rejecting efforts to create new realities on the ground under the pretext of fighting terrorism, including illegitimate autonomy initiatives, confronting separatist agendas aimed at weakening the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and condemned the continuation of the Zionist regime's military attacks on Syria.

They also “discussed the current situation in the field in Syria, reviewed the latest developments after the virtual meeting of the heads of state on July 1, 2020, and once again expressed their determination to strengthen tripartite coordination based on the agreements between them and the results of the meetings of foreign ministers and senior experts. They also reviewed the latest international and regional developments and emphasized the leading role of the Astana Process in the peaceful settlement of the Syrian crisis,” according to a joint statement they issued after the summit.

The presidents of Iran, Turkey and Russia also “expressed their determination to continue cooperation to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They condemned the increase in the presence and activity of terrorist groups and their affiliated groups under various names in different regions of Syria, including attacks that target civilian facilities and lead to the loss of innocent lives. They emphasized the necessity of the full implementation of all measures related to northern Syria.”