President of the Syrian Coalition Abdurrahman Mustafa blamed the Assad regime for turning Syria into an arena for score-settling between regional powers and an epicenter for the Iranian-led cross-border terrorism. He pointed out that the Assad regime has long opened Syria’s doors wide for Iranian terrorist militias to enter Syrian territory and allowed Tehran to use Syria as a springboard for terrorist activities as well as a trump card to serve its expansionist ambitions and further its nuclear project.
“The Assad regime’s policies have brought destruction to Syria and made its territory an open battleground for regional and international powers with the sole aim of clinging to power,” President Mustafa added.
“The Assad regime has brought in Iranian and Hezbollah militias as well as allowed ISIS and al-Qaeda to grow and supported separatist groups.”
President Mustafa went on to say that “since the beginning of the popular revolution against his rule, the Assad regime has systematically destabilized the region through these terrorist tools with the aim of convincing the international community that it is the only side that is capable for restoring the status quo ante.”
President Mustafa noted that Iran exploited from Assad’s need for help, especially after it was teetering on the verge of collapse in 2013. He pointed out that Iran “used Syria as a bargaining chip for its nuclear project.”
President Mustafa underscored that the Assad regime must be dealt with in the same way as Iran as both of them threaten international peace and security, stressing the need for confronting their terrorist activities in the region. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
