Damascus Regaining Control Over Manbij is Step to Stabilise Crisis - Tehran

Earlier in the day, the Syrian Arab Army announced that government forces had raised the country's flag in the city, while the Kurdish YPG units had left Manbij in order to fight against the Daesh* terrorist group to the east of the Euphrates.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran, stressing the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, considers the raising of the Syrian national flag in the city of Manbij to be an important step in strengthening the Syrian government's authority over the entire country and a new step to resolving the internal crisis. Iran welcomes this step", Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi stated Sunday, commenting on the situation in Syria.

READ MORE: Syria Celebrates, West Ignores

Additionally, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called the report on Manbij passing under Damascus' control a "psychological operation", adding that the issue would be discussed during an upcoming ministerial meeting in Moscow.

All the changes happened amid the withdrawal of American soldiers from Syria after US President Donald Trump announced that the coalition had defeated Daesh terrorists in the country. While Washington has been supporting the YPG, Ankara considers them to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, banned in Turkey.

* Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/IS/Islamic State) is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia