US urges Assad regime to subdue Iran-backed militias
The United States urged Syria to subdue Iran-backed militias based in the Middle Eastern country on November 6, reports The National.
The US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield is concerned at the high presence of gunmen in Syria and told the Security Council, “The Syrian regime has allowed Iran and terrorist groups including Hezbollah to use its international airports for military purposes,”.
Thomas-Greenfield claimed that the Assad regime could do a lot more to tackle Iran-backed groups as they are using civilian airports to transport, goods, weapons, and fighters.
In Iraq and Syria, Washington carried out multiple attacks on armed groups in response to their attacks on US troops.
Recently, America carried out fighter jet precision airstrikes on two bases that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were using in Syria’s east.
The group is a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces and is recognised as a terrorist organisation by the United States.
Washington has long played a role in conflicts in the Middle East. This is emphasised by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visiting the region twice in less than a month.
The ever-present Blinken has been more involved as a result of tensions between Israel and the Palestinian militants Hamas that have escalated since October 7 and have resulted in 1,400 Israeli and over 10,000 Palestinian deaths.
READ: Iranian militants deployed near Syrian-Israeli border
Despite the bloodshed, the US official was reluctant to back a cessation of hostilities in Gaza claiming that it would be playing into Hamas’ hands.
Turmoil-stricken Syria has lacked peace and unity since 2011 when the ongoing civil war originally started. The conflict broke out due to Bashar Al-Assad’s brutal clampdown on peaceful pro-democracy demonstrations.
Whilst many Syrians are concerned at the troubling situation in their country, worse still, Damascus could be dragged into the Israel-Gaza conflict like neighbouring Lebanon has to some extent.
On Lebanese territory, 29,000 people living near the border with Israel have been displaced as a result of cross-border skirmishes between Lebanese militant organisation Hezbollah and the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).
Since the beginning of last month, over 80 people have been killed of which 59 of them were Hezbollah members.
The National
