Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad stressed that US, French, Turkish and Israeli troops present in his country are occupying forces.
In an interview with Al-Alam News Network on Wednesday, President Assad assured that relations with Iran and its presence in Syria were non-negotiable.
The Syrian leader added that he would not object to the establishment of a permanent Iranian military base within his country’s borders if such a base is necessary.
“The Syrian-Iranian relationship is a strategic relationship, not subject to settlement in the south or in the north…and Syria and Iran will not place this relationship in the international political bazaar to be bargained,” Assad told Al-Alam’s Ali Mortadah.
Syria’s position is to support “any act of resistance, whether against terrorists or against occupying forces regardless of their nationality,” Assad said.
Meanwhile, referring to the presence of fighters of the Lebanese resistance movement of Hezbollah in Syria, Assad said that “the battle is long and the need for these military forces will continue for a long time.”
He noted that it is not yet decided how the situation in Syria’s militant-held southwest will be resolved.
“We are giving the political process a chance. If that doesn’t succeed, we have no other option but to liberate it by force,” he said.
Source: Agencies
