ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United States on Thursday raised alarm over the resurgence of the Islamic State (ISIS), al-Qaida, and Iran-backed militias in Syria, and called on the United Nations Security Council to step up efforts against terrorist networks and regional proxies.
“The United States shares Israel’s concerns about Syria becoming a base for terrorism, and both our countries have been clear that we oppose malign actors using Syria as a platform to foment instability,” Dorothy Shea, Washington’s ambassador to the United Nations, told the Security Council.
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed Syria when they met earlier in the week.
Shea warned that ISIS and al-Qaida continue to operate inside Syria, while Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups are trying to regain a foothold in order to threaten Israel and other countries in the region.
“The [Security] Council should recommit itself to combating terrorism in Syria, call on Iran and other external actors to stop arming and advising terrorist groups, and urge regional states to rein in the actions of proxies who threaten regional peace and security,” she said.
“Israel has an inherent right of self-defense, including against terrorist groups operating close to its border,” she added.
Since the fall of Assad’s regime, Israel has scrambled to destroy Syria’s military stockpiles. It also sent troops across the border into a buffer zone east of the annexed Golan Heights, justifying the move as a precaution against political instability in Syria.
Tensions are high between Israel and Turkey. Ankara, a longtime supporter of the Syrian opposition that fought former dictator Bashar al-Assad, has emerged as a key ally of the new Syrian leadership, but has been on a collision course with Israel, which regards the new rulers in Damascus as a threat.
Despite growing friction, the two have stated they do not seek conflict in Syria. Diplomatic and security representatives from both countries met on Thursday in Azerbaijan a day after Trump offered to mediate between them.
