Damascus Accuses US of Pursuing Israel's Interests in Syria

"I want to say that American goals are not purely American goals, in fact, these are Israeli goals that the US is implementing in Syria. There are many goals," Muallem told the magazine International Life.

According to the head of the Syrian Foreign Ministry, it all began in 2011.

"First, they do not want Syria to be the main country of resistance to Israel. Second, they do not want Syria to have strategic relations with Iran and Russia. They want Syria to be like the rest of the region, that is, to become one of the instruments of US foreign policy with the approval of Israel. On this basis, I want to say that the US goal in Syria is to control all future activities of Syria in the interests of Israel, " the minister pointed out.

Israel is one of the main US allies in the Middle East and a major consumer of US arms and military equipment. The two share the same position on Iran and both hope to minimize Tehran's influence in the region and in crisis-torn Syria.

Israeli-Syrian relations have long been strained, particularly over the disputed Golan Heights. Israel occupied the region after the 1967 Six-Day War with Syria and other Arab states and annexed the territory in 1981. The international community has not recognized the annexation.

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