Syrian opposition groups that toppled the al-Assad regime “set the Iranian project in the region back by 40 years,” Ahmad al-Sharaa, head of the new government, said in an interview published Friday.Speaking to pan-Arab publication Asharq al-Awsat, the opposition leader, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, stressed that Syria would no longer be used to “attack or destabilize” any country in the Arab or Gulf region.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“Syria had become a platform for Iran to control key Arab capitals, spread wars, and destabilize the Gulf with drugs like Captagon,” he said.“By removing Iranian militias and closing Syria to Iranian influence, we’ve served the region’s interests—achieving what diplomacy and external pressure could not, with minimal losses.”Speaking from the presidential palace, al-Sharaa also criticized efforts made to restore ties with ousted President Bashar al-Assad, including having him rejoin the Arab