Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad said an Islamist-led offensive in his country’s north was an attempt to “redraw” the map of the region, in remarks during a call with his Iranian counterpart Monday.
“The terrorist escalation reflects the far-reaching goals of dividing the region and fragmenting the countries in it and redraw the map in line with the objectives of the United States and the West,” Assad said, according to a statement from the Syrian presidency.