Syria's Assad says Trump a 'natural ally'

Syria's Bashar al- said in an interview aired on Tuesday that Donald Trump will be a "natural ally" if the US president-elect fulfills his pledge to fight "terrorists".

"We cannot tell anything about what he's going to do, but if... he is going to fight the terrorists, of course we are going to be ally, natural ally in that regard with the Russian, with the Iranian, with many other countries," the Syrian president told Portugal's RTP state television.

Asked about Trump's campaign comments suggesting the United States should focus more on fighting the Islamic State group, Assad said he would welcome such a move but was cautious.

"I would say this is promising, but can he deliver?" said Assad, who was speaking in English.

"Can he go in that regard? What about the countervailing forces within the administration, the mainstream media that were against him? How can he deal with it?" said the Syrian leader.

"That's why for us it's still dubious whether he can do or live up to his promises or not.

"That's why we are very cautious in judging him, especially as he wasn't in a political position before," said Assad.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal last week, Trump said "I've had an opposite view of many people regarding Syria".

He also said that if the United States attacks Assad "we end up fighting Russia", an ally of the Syrian regime.

Assad also accused the United States of interfering in the affairs of other countries.

"They think that they are the police of the world. They think they are the judge of the world. They're not," he said.