TEHRAN (FNA)- The American forces intend to set up a permanent military base at al-Tanf region in Iraq near the border with Syria.

The Arabic-language al-Ma’aloumeh news website quoted Barakat al-Issawi, a former member of al-Anbar provincial council, as saying on Monday that the US has sent weapons and military equipment from Ein al-Assad airbase in Western al-Anbar to al-Tanf region near the border with Syria to establish a permanent military base.

He added that the US move comes to balance Russia’s military presence in Syria, which, in turn, means international confrontation between the US and Russia.

Al-Issawi said that the US forces are making these moves as the commanders of al-Jazeera Operations forces and Hashd al-Shaabi (Iraqi popular forces) are running final coordination to impose control over all bordering areas with Syria.

Earlier reports had informed on Sunday that the US army had sent a massive military convoy to its controlled regions in Western Iraq just behind the border with Syria at al-Tanf crossing.

“A massive US military convoy comprising military vehicles, artillery canons and heavy weapons has been dispatched to Iraq’s Western border with the US-controlled al-Tanf region,” local and military sources in al-Anbar province in Western Iraq reported.

Meantime, the Turkish Anatoly news agency quoted the sources as saying that the military equipment had been sent from Ein al-Assad military base in al-Baghdadi region West of al-Ramadi to al-Tanf border crossing with Syria through highway.