TEHRAN -- The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) said Sunday the illegal presence of U.S. occupying forces in Syria is the most important barrier to the establishment of peace and security in the war-torn country. Ali Shamkhani told director of Syria’s General Security Directorate Ali Mamlouk here that the U.S. plays a destructive role in the world by creating regional and global crises in order to dominate other countries and plunder their resources. “Pursuing the same goal, the US presence in Syria is the biggest obstacle to achieving peace and stability in the country today,” he said.