Syria says Egypt's decision to cut diplomatic ties with his country is ``irresponsible,'' accusing its president of joining a U.S.-Israeli conspiracy to divide the Middle East.

The official government statement quoted in state media on Sunday comes a day after President Mohammed Morsi told supporters in Cairo that his country is severing ties with Damascus and closing its embassy in the Syrian capital. Morsi, an Islamist, made the decision amid growing calls from hardline Sunni clerics in Egypt and the region to launch a ``holy war'' against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Morsi also called for a no-fly zone over Syria. The Syrian statement said Morsi's call is a violation of its sovereignty ``and serves the goals of Israel and the United States'' in the region. (AP)