US does not believe in Iran settling Syrian conflict

Spokesman of the US State Department Patrick Ventrell said at a press conference in Tehran that Iran plays a destructive role in settlement of the Syrian conflict, RIA Novosti reports.

The US official believes that Iran’s support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will cause repercussions.

The conflict in Syria has been ongoing since March 2011. The UN says that over 16,000 people have died. Syrian authorities say that they face well-armed opposition supported by foreign states. Russia and China fear that foreign intervention in Syria and loss of statehood would escalate the conflict.