'Where there is US, there is trouble': Syrian Envoy slams Washington over escalated tensions in Middle East

Syrian Ambassador to India Riad Abbas on Monday criticised the United States over the escalated tensions in the Middle East owing to its interference in the region's affairs, and remarked, "Where there is America, there is trouble."

"I will tell you this openly: Where there is America, there is trouble. Who invited America to come to the Middle East to fight these countries?" Abbas told media in response to a question on the escalated tensions in the region following a US airstrike earlier this month in Iraq that killed top Iranian General Qassem Soleimani

"They (the US) are following their interest. They are not coming for the welfare of the people. They came to hold the natural resources of those countries. Our country (Syria) and Iran refused and that is why they faced these big problems in the Middle East. Iran has now become a superpower in the region and they will defeat America," he added.

Abbas said that his nation does not believe or have faith in American policies.

"All American policies in the Middle East have failed. Be it North Korea, or Ukraine, everywhere there are foolish policies of America."

"They could not stop nuclear proliferation in North Korea. They could not do any development in the Middle East or Ukraine. They always follow Israeli policies in the Middle East and hence they fail," he added.

Abbas was speaking to media after holding a meeting with Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar.