US blames al-Assad’s reliance on Russia, Iran for loss of Aleppo control

The United States on Saturday said Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad lost control of Aleppo because of his reliance on Russia and Iran.

Syria’s “reliance on Russia and Iran,” along with its refusal to move forward with a 2015 peace process outlined by the UN Security Council, “created the conditions now unfolding,” National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said in a statement.

He added: “At the same time, the United States has nothing to do with this offensive, which is led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a designated terrorist organization.”