Syria and Iran say the United States is waging “economic terrorism” against countries that have different opinions and should pursue its aims through diplomacy instead.
Syrian state news agency SANA quotes President Bashar Assad as saying the Trump administration’s decision to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization is an “irresponsible move.” Assad spoke at a meeting with Iran’s visiting Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who said the US move was “stupid.”
This photo released on the official Facebook page of Syrian Presidency shows Syrian President Bashar Assad, left, speaking with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, right, in Damascus, Syria, April 16, 2019. (Syrian Presidency Facebook page via AP)
Syria is in the grip of a severe fuel crisis aggravated by sanctions on the Assad government and Iran, its close ally.
Tehran has given the Syrian government billions of dollars in aid and sent Iran-backed fighters to battle alongside its forces — assistance that, along with Russian air power, has helped turn the tide in Assad’s favor.
SANA quotes Assad as saying that the US designation of the Revolutionary Guard “is a continuation of the wrong policies adopted by the United States and could be considered as one of the factors of instability in the region.”
Zarif says the Trump administration’s designation of the Revolutionary Guard and recognition of Israel’s sovereignty on Jerusalem and the Golan Heights are related and show the “failure of Washington’s policies,” according to SANA.
Zarif is scheduled to meet with Syria’s prime minister and foreign minister before heading to neighboring Turkey.
— AP
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
