US delivers ultimatum to Russia over Syria

JOHN BOLTON, the United States national security adviser, yesterday warned Russia there would be no deal on resolving the conflict in Syria unless Iranian troops withdrew.

The US and Israel have pressured Moscow over Iran’s presence in Syria, where thousands of Iranians are fighting in support of the regime of Bashar al-assad, Syria’s president.

Mr Bolton’s comments, however, marked the first time Washington had issued such a direct ultimatum.

“We’re going to see what we and others can agree in terms of resolving the conflict in Syria,” Mr Bolton told reporters during a visit to Israel. “The one prerequisite there is the withdrawal of all Iranian forces back in Iran.”

Iran is deeply embedded in the conflict and heavily invested in its outcome, making it unlikely it will forfeit its influence in Syria for the sake of a Russian deal.

Russian officials have admitted that the Kremlin has no say over the Iranian troops they fight alongside.

Mr Bolton said that Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, who met Donald Trump, the US president, last month, had told the US that Moscow could not compel the Iranians to leave. “He also told us that his interest and Iran’s were not exactly the same,” said Mr Bolton. “So we’re obviously going to talk to him about what role they can play.”

Russia is trying to draw a line under the seven-year civil war in Syria, despite a looming battle for the final rebel stronghold of Idlib in the north.

Moscow wants the US to withdraw its 2,000 troops from Syria, support its plan for rebuilding the war-torn country and help convince refugees that are scattered around the world to return to their homes.

The first demand coincides with Mr Trump’s own plans, with the president announcing earlier this year that he would be recalling soldiers from the war as soon as possible. Mr Bolton’s preconditions, however, could now see US troops remaining in the country much longer than Mr Trump had planned.

Mr Bolton said yesterday that “the Russians are stuck there at the moment,” which he claimed gave Washington leverage in its talks with Moscow.

“And I don’t think they want to be stuck there,” he said.

“I think their frenetic diplomatic activity in Europe indicates that they’d like to find somebody else, for example, to bear the cost of reconstructing Syria – which they may or may not succeed in doing.”