Syria’s interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa performs a pilgrimage in Islam’s holiest city, Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 3.

AFP via Getty Images/AFP

DAMASCUS, Syria – Syria’s interim president said Iranian militias that previously operated in the country were not only harmful to it, but also a threat to the wider region.

The president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, led the rebel group that seized control of Syria in December, ousting dictator Bashar al-Assad and the Iranian forces that supported him.

In a wide-ranging interview on Syrian television, Sharaa said Iranian forces were used to “fuel instability” in Syria and other neighboring states.

“The presence of Iranian militias under the previous [Syrian] regime posed a strategic threat to the entire region,” said Sharaa.

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https://www.npr.org/2025/02/04/g-s1-46361/syrias-new-leader-denounces-iran-calling-its-proxies-a-regional-threat