Syria’s foreign minister has said the “thunderous defeat” by the United States in Afghanistan will lead to similar defeats for American troops in Syria and other parts of the world. Faisal Mekdad made his comments Sunday following a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, who began an official visit to Syria. Mekdad said the US withdrawal from Afghanistan “is a strong lesson for the allies and tools of the United States in the region and the world.” He appeared to be referring to Kurdish-led fighters allied with the United States who control wide parts of eastern Syria, including the country’s largest oil fields. Hundreds of US troops are stationed in northeastern Syria, working with Kurdish-led fighters in battling ISIS. Mekdad and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, discussed bilateral relations in various fields of interest to the Syrian and Iranian peoples, SANA reported. Abdollahian told Mekdad that the presence of foreign forces will not help peace and stability in the Middle East. During his visit to Syria, the Iranian minister also met with President Bashar Assad. They discussed steps taken by the two countries to enhance bilateral cooperation with the aim of reaching a higher level of partnership at various levels, a Syrian official statement said. It added that such partnership enables the two peoples to continue facing the repercussions of the sanctions imposed on the two countries.