SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Thursday that the presence of its arch foe the United States in the Middle East harmed countries in the region and called on Washington to fully withdraw its troops from the country.

“The presence of U.S. in Syria and other countries in the region is not useful .... America should reconsider its Middle East policy,” Rouhani said after a summit on Syria between Iran, Russia and Turkey in southern Russia.