Syrian jihadist group the Al-Nusra Front, blacklisted by Washington as a terror outfit, has accused the United States of seeking to keep President Bashar al-Assad in power.

“The continued US and international support for prolonging the regime’s lifespan by giving extensions (for a political transition), sending observers and trying to negotiate peace is clear to everyone,” the group’s leader, Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, said in a voice recording posted online.

“The United States is expressing its failure in the region by putting the Al-Nusra Front on its terror list (merely) for helping the (Syrian) people,” he added.