US warns of ISIS return as critics accuse Syria's Assad of stirring 'ethnic' tensions

Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi have highlighted the divide between Arab and Kurdish forces in the U.S.-backed coalition in the hopes of further igniting ethnic tensions.

Using the Arabic acronym "Daesh" to refer to ISIS, the statement continued, "We remain focused on working with the Syrian Defense Forces to ensure the enduring defeat of Daesh, in support of regional security and stability. Distractions from this critical work create instability and increase the risk of Daesh resurgence." Peter Aitken is a Fox News Digital reporter with a focus on national and global news. 

"The violence in northeast Syria must cease, and the effort returned to creating peace and stability in northeast Syria, free from the threat of Daesh," it added.