Iran's president blames U.S., Israel for global instability in defiant UN speech

Syria's interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa lashed out at Israel during a recent United Nations speech, asserting that the Golan Heights is an inseparable part of Syria. In his address, al-Sharaa condemned Israel's occupation of southern Syria, noting that Israel has carried out over 500 air and artillery strikes on the country since he assumed power nearly two years ago.

He further detailed Israel's 1,200 land incursions and the detention of nearly 300 individuals. Al-Sharaa vehemently defended Syria's claim to the Golan Heights, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East conflict and annexed in 1981. Despite the United Nations and the majority of the international community considering the territory occupied by Syria and not recognizing Israel's annexation, al-Sharaa emphasized that "the Golan will remain a Syrian land."

The interim president reaffirmed Syria's commitment to the 1974 agreement that established a demilitarized separation zone between Israeli and Syrian forces, maintained by a UN peacekeeping force. He called upon Israeli forces to withdraw to the lines of December 8, 2024, the day he led insurgents in removing the previous leader, Bashar Assad, from power, allowing Israel to deploy its forces.