There can only be peace in Syria once the country’s dictator Bashar al-Assad steps down, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir has said.
Addressing a joint press conference in Riyadh with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday, Al-Jubeir said that Assad’s hands were “stained with the blood of the Syrian people and should have no role in a future government.”
Al-Jubeir accused Assad of displacing millions, killing hundreds of thousands and destroying the country’s security and stability. Assad was supported by Iran’s regime and should relinquish power if there is any hope that peace can be restored in Syria, he said, according to Arab News.
Al-Jubeir said it was difficult to envision a role for Iran’s regime in Syria peacemaking efforts due to its military role in the conflict there, Arab News reported on Tuesday.
“Iran must comply with the agreement it reached with the 5+1 countries on its nuclear deal and refrain from all negative tactics in order to restore peace in Syria and Yemen,” the minister said.
He said the coalition forces recently caught an Iranian ship smuggling arms and ammunition to the rebels in Yemen.
“Is this the way a responsible country aspiring to a nuclear deal should behave? It only confirms the concerns raised by Gulf countries,” he said.
Steinmeier said that Syria has “no future” if Assad remains in power. “It is a dilemma that needs to be addressed to restore peace and order in Syria.”
