Tillerson Vows U.S. Forces Will Stay in Syria to Counter Iran
- Secretary of state says U.S. seeks to ‘diminish’ Iran’s role
- U.S. must counter Islamic State and al-Qaeda, Tillerson says
Syrians walk amidst the debris of destroyed buildings in the northern Syrian city of Raqa, on Jan. 11, 2018.
Photographer: Delil Souleiman/AFP via Getty Images
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Secretary of State Rex Tillerson vowed the U.S. military will stay in war-torn Syria for the foreseeable future to counter Islamic State, al-Qaeda and Iran, even as he urged patience in waiting out Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
In a speech at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution in California on Wednesday, Tillerson called for closer cooperation with Russia to avoid conflict in “de-escalation zones.” He also offered financial aid and diplomatic assistance in “liberated areas” to help rebuild parts of Syria shattered by almost seven years of civil war.