Iran's foreign minister said on Monday the United States was an "irrelevant occupier in Syria", and called for respecting Syrian territorial integrity, after a U.S. pull-back of troops in northeast Syria appeared to open the way to a Turkish attack.
"US is an irrelevant occupier in Syria futile to seek its permission or rely on it for security," Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted. "Achieving peace & fighting terror in Syria will only succeed thru respect for its territorial integrity & its people."