Iran says troops deployment to Syria by U.S. to help extremism

Deployment of troops by the United States to Syria to fight the terrorist groups in the country would adversely fan flames of extremism in the Middle East, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday.

"I believe that the presence of foreign troops in Arab territory is a recipe for those extremists to rally behind and gain new fighters from disenfranchised youth," Zarif was quoted as saying.

The remarks by Zarif followed the recent suggestion by a U.S. official who said that the White House may authorize sending combat troops to Syria.

"It's possible that you may see conventional forces hit the ground in Syria for some period of time," CNN quoted the unnamed U.S. official as saying.

The nationwide ceasefire in Syria, which was brokered by Russia and Turkey with the support of Iran in December 2016, is largely working, Zarif said, warning against committing further mistakes in Syria by the United States.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari announced that the next round of negotiations between the Syrian government and the rebels is planned to be held in Kazakhstan within less than a month, Tasnim News Agency reported on Friday.

Jaberi Ansari, who headed Iran's diplomatic team in the past rounds of Syria peace talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana, said a number of expert and bilateral meetings were held over the past two days in Astana, including a general meeting on Thursday afternoon.

A communique has been finalized by a joint committee monitoring the ceasefire in Syria, he said.

Iran emphasizes Syria's territorial integrity, its national sovereignty, and its people's right to decide their own fate, he added.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran calls on all Syrian groups to join the peace negotiations with the Syrian government and take the fate of their children in their hands," he stressed. Endit