Syrian FM says Trump 'lying' about troop withdrawal

Syria's foreign minister has said US President Donald Trump's administration is "lying" all the time about withdrawing its troops from the country.

Walid al-Moallem also said Trump's decision to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the Israeli occupied Golan Heights only serves to increase the US's isolation in the world "even among its closest allies."

Trump announced suddenly in December the withdrawal of some 2,000 US troops who had been deployed in Syria.

Then, under pressure from Congress and the Pentagon, he agreed to leave a residual force of some 200 US troops, which he wants to be reinforced by allies in an international coalition against the Islamic State group.

Moallem spoke Thursday at a joint press conference in Damascus with Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, who lauded what he described as Syria's victory over "terrorism" in the country's eight-year war.

Venezuela's government has warm relations with Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime. Arreaza said both countries were victims of a US conspiracy.

Moallem vowed to liberate all Syrian territory including the northwestern province of Idlib, the last major rebel-held stronghold in the country, saying "our patience has its limits."