US instrumental in Daesh, terrorism spread in Middle East: Iran

The United States has played a key role in the expansion of Daesh and other terrorist groups across the Middle East, says an Iranian diplomat at the United Nations, condemning Washington's new accusation that Iran destabilizes the region.

Alireza Miryousefi, a spokesman for the Iranian mission to the UN, made the remarks on Wednesday, after US envoy to the world body Nikki Haley claimed during a Security Council session on Syria that the Iran was a "destabilizing" force in the war-torn country.

In a statement issued online, Miryousefi said Haley's "baseless" statement did little to undermine Iran's "sincere" efforts to de-escalate the situation in Syria in the face of Washington's "push to thwart" them.

"The US government has been instrumental in the growth of Daesh and terrorism in the Middle East," said Miryousefi. "Its misadventures and illegal interventions across the region, especially Iraq, Libya, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Syria, are destabilizing and have had disastrous consequences for these countries and the region."

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More than seven years have passed since the outbreak of war in Syria. Many ask who is to blame for the protracted violence.

Washington could not "cover up its destructive role" by putting the blame on other countries, Miryousefi asserted.

The Iranian diplomat also questioned America's unconditional support for Israel despite the fact that the Tel Aviv regime is the "primary" source of instability in the region due to its "illegal and aggressive practices."

Russia hits back at US

In her speech, Haley also lashed out at Russia for not using its leverage over Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to end the war.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia rejected the charge, saying Russia was doing its part and it was the US and its allies that did not use their influence to stop the violence.

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He also blasted Washington for the recent "unprovoked attack" on Syrian pro-government forces in Syria's Dayr al-Zawr province, which reportedly killed scores of people, including private Russian military contractors.

Syria in most 'dangerous, violent' times

Also addressing the UNSC meeting on Wednesday was the UN Syria peace mediator Staffan de Mistura, who said the conflict had reached its most perilous stage.

“I have been now four years (as) special envoy, this is a violent and worrying and dangerous a moment as any that I’ve seen in my time,” he said of the conflict, which has killed hundreds of thousands of Syrians and displaced millions more since its onset in 2011.

After losing most of the Syrian territories in their control, Daesh terrorists are now largely concentrated in Eastern Ghouta and the northwestern province of Idlib.

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Last week was one of the bloodiest ones over the past years as Syrian government forces continued its attacks to free those areas, where many suffer from malnutrition and lack of basic medical supplies.

“What we are seeing in Syria today not only imperils the de-escalation arrangements and regional stability, it also undermines the efforts for a political solution," he said, noting that the UN would continue its Geneva peace initiative, although it has failed to bear any fruit.

The UN special envoy also called on Iran, Russia and Turkey to use their regional influence in order to resolve the deadly conflict.

The three countries have been organizing peace talks for Syria in Kazakhstan's capital of Astana since January 2017. Together, they have been acting as guarantor states for the peace process.

Syria: US-led coalition defending terrorists

While addressing the meeting, Syria's envoy to the UN Bashar al-Ja'afari noted that de Mistura had refrained from mentioning the presence of US and Turkish forces on Syrian soil.

Jaafari stressed that so far 29 resolutions on Syria have been adopted by the council, all of which highlight all parties’ commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

"We have the right to question the actions taken by the UN Security Council to guarantee these objectives set by the founders in order to achieve peace, security and stability in the world," he added.

He further added that the US, the UK and France have done all they could to destroy Syria by facilitating the movement of terrorists to Syria with the aim of toppling the government.

The Syrian diplomat went on to say that some countries even supply terrorist groups with toxic chemical materials to be used against Syria's civilian population, adding that they then fabricate incidents and false testimonies aimed at misleading the investigative mechanism and accuse the Syrian government of carrying out chemical attacks.

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