FM's Advisor:

Iran Not to Allow US to Change Equations in Syria

Rasa - Senior Advisor to the Iranian foreign minister Hossein Sheikholeslam blasted Washington's missile strike on a Syrian airbase, and underlined that his country as an important actor in Syria will not allow the US and its allies to change the equations to their benefit.

News ID: 428812

Date: 10 April 2017 - 23:07

RNA - "The (missile) attack is condemned from every perspective and we, as the mighty power on the ground in Syria, will not allow the equations to change in Syria after (victories in) Aleppo," Sheikholeslam said on Monday.

He said that the Americans' missile strike against Syria before scrutinizing and finding the culprits behind the recent chemical attack in Idlib was unacceptable, and said Washington may be able to fire missiles but the main role is played by those who enjoy the power on the ground.

On Thursday night, the United States launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Syrian military airfield in al-Shayrat, located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the city of Homs. US President Donald Trump said the attack was a response to the alleged chemical weapon use in Syria's Idlib on Tuesday, which Washington blames on the Syrian government.

Russia described the attack as an aggression against a sovereign state. Following the US military action, Russia decided to suspend its memorandum of understanding on air safety over Syria with the United States, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Syrian opposition claimed Tuesday forces loyal to President Bashar Assad had used a chemical gas on people in the Northwestern province, killing nearly 80 and injuring 200. Assad argued his government has no chemical weapons after agreeing to have them destroyed in 2013. He also ruled out having used chemicals against own people.

In relevant remarks on Sunday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said the missile attack on Al-Shayrat Airbase in Syria's Homs province was a strategic mistake typical of the US administrations.

"What Americans did was a strategic mistake, and they are repeating the same mistakes done by their predecessors," the leader said at a meeting with senior Iranian Armed Forces commanders in Tehran.

He further blasted Washington officials for sponsoring terrorism in the region, saying that "former US officials created ISIL or helped it, and present officials are reinvigorating ISIL and similar groups".

Ayatollah Khamenei cautioned the US against an instrumental use of terrorism, saying that the same groups would pose grave dangers to the US in future. "Europe is entangled with the mistake that it committed by strengthening the Takfiris and people are not secure at home and in the streets (in there), and the US is repeating the same mistake."

Elsewhere, he dismissed allegations and analyses that the US attack on Syria was a pulse to other actors in the region, saying that violence, aggression and crime is typical of the White House officials, but Americans do not dare to conduct a similar move in all countries.

"The Islamic Republic has shown that it doesn't back off under the influence of such irrelevant statements and wrong deeds, and the people and officials who hold belief in the revolution do not step back when faced with threats, ....," the Iranian Supreme Leader reiterated.

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