The Arab League, Russia, Iran and Turkey have strongly warned the US after President Donald Trump declared Thursday that he will recognize Syria’s Golan Heights as Israeli territory.

The strategic highlands have been under the Israeli occupation since 1967, but Trump’s abrupt declaration on Friday, a day after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to Israel, brings the dispute to a boiling point.

Syria, which declared last month that it was ready to go to another war with Israel for the Golan, condemned Trump’s pledge in a statement issued by its foreign ministry on Friday.

“The American position towards Syria’s occupied Golan Heights clearly reflects the United States’ contempt for international legitimacy and its flagrant violation of international law,” it said.

“The irresponsible remarks by Trump, the US president, one more time demonstrated the US’ blind and relentless support for the Israeli occupying regime and its hostile acts,” it added.

Following the announcement by Trump, Syria asked the UN Security Council to uphold resolutions urging Israel to withdraw from the region.

In a letter seen by AFP, Syrian Ambassador Bashar Jaafari called on the council to “take practical measures to ensure that the council is fulfilling … its mandate in the implementation of its resolutions” concerning the Golan Heights.

The council will discuss the issue on Wednesday as it reconvenes to discuss renewing the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force deployed between Israel and Syria in the Golan, known as UNDOF.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday Trump’s statement has brought the region to the edge of a new crisis.

In a speech at a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Erdogan said: “We cannot allow the legitimization of the occupation of the Golan Heights.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expressed shock at Trump’s plan…..more here