MOSCOW, March 22 (KUNA) -- Russia on Friday warned of looming further deterioration in the Middle East in the shadow of Washington's intention to recognize "Israel's sovereignty on the Golan Heights." Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a statement, broadcast by Ria Novosti news agency, that the call by US President Donald Trump to recognize "Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights" will aggravate the complex conditions in the Middle East.
He expressed hope that Trump's recent call in this regard would remain just rhetorical.
The European Union, the Arab League, Turkey and Iran have already rebuffed the call as blatant breach of international laws.
Israel occupied the Golan in 1967 and kept its grip on the plateau, contravening United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, stipulating that states' territories must not be seized by force.
Israel and Syria worked out a truce after the October 1973 war. Later on, the UN deployed a mission on the heights to monitor the situation.
Some Syrian armed opposition groups seized some parts of the strategic mountainous region during Syria's eight-year internal conflict, but Syrian government forces, backed by Russia personnel, restored control on the areas and the international observers who had to pull out during the upheavals, were redeployed there. (end) as.rk