Syria, Iran warn against U.S. military buildup along Syrian-Iraqi border

DAMASCUS, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad and his Iranian counterpart Hussein Amir-Abdollahian jointly warned on Wednesday the United States against its reported military buildup along the Syrian-Iraqi border.

In a press conference held in the Syrian capital of Damascus, the two ministers expressed concerns over the apparent U.S. efforts to amass forces and allied rebel groups along the Syrian-Iraqi border, from the northeastern Syrian province of Hasakah to the southeastern region near the U.S. base in al-Tanf.

Mekdad said the move violated international regulations and will face the resilience of Syria.

Amir-Abdollahian echoed Mekdad's concerns and advised the U.S. to stop causing harm to the region.

"We advise American soldiers to return to their homeland, and American leaders to leave the region and mind their own business," the Iranian top diplomat said.

Syrian opposition activists recently reported that the United States plans to tighten its control over the Syrian-Iraqi border to curb Iranian influence in the region.