US Homeland Security Adviser to President Donald Trump Tom Bossert said on Thursday that Washington’s commander in chief is in full support of the demands made by the Iranian people against wasting national funds on an agenda focused on destabilizing the region.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Bossert confirmed that Iran’s behavior spurs deep concerns and destabilizes the region. He called on Tehran to stop supporting terrorism and wasting its money on destabilizing activities in other countries rather than paying attention to its citizens.
On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Bosset said that the Iranian people have taken to the streets against Tehran’s policies, and that Trump is siding with the people not the regime.
In another context, Bossert said in a press conference that he held meetings with officials from the Middle East and the West, and discussed the Turkish military operations in northwestern Syria.
Trump's homeland security adviser suggested that Turkish troops "remove themselves" from Afrin, saying Ankara "ought to be mindful of the potential for escalation” as its troops move into Syria and Afrin.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to send Turkish troops further east along the Syrian side of the Turkish border, targeting Kurdish-held areas where US personnel are stationed.
It would be a "terrible outcome" if Turkish troops clashed with "the proxy forces that we have all been relying on to defeat ISIS, especially if there are US advisers in the region," Bossert said.
"There could be grave consequences to any miscalculation and escalation," AP cited the White House staffer as saying.