The United States has sought better ties with Syria since President Barack Obama took office in January last year, but the two sides have exchanged tough words in recent days.

President Bashar Al-Assad Assad told Al-Hayat newspaper in an interview published last week that the US “created chaos in every place it entered.”

Two days later the US ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice accused Damascus of joining forces with Iran and the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah to undermine Lebanon.

US Undersecretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman also told the Washington Post there would not be significant improvement in ties with Syria “as long as Syria’s friends are undermining stability in Lebanon,” a reference to Hezbollah.

An official Syrian statement published on Thursday said:

“We do not need Feltman’s advice because Syria is exercising its role through an independent decision to serve the interests of its people and the stability and security of the region.”

Syria ended its nearly three decades of military presence in Lebanon after the international outcry over the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Al-Hariri.

A UN-backed tribunal is expected to indict Hezbollah members over the killing. Hezbollah has denied any role in the assassination and has stepped up pressure on US-backed Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri, son of the slain statesman, to repudiate the investigation.

Syria has also hinted that the tribunal should be disbanded, but the United States said on Wednesday it was giving $10 million to help finance the tribunal’s work.

The harsh comments last week from Rice, who accused Syria of arming Hezbollah and flouting Lebanese sovereignty were immediately dismissed by her Syrian counterpart.