Iranian FM:

US missile strike on Syria 'unacceptable'

Rasa - Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says a US missile strike on Syria last week is "unacceptable," reiterating Iran's call for an unbiased international probe into an alleged gas attack in the Arab country.

News ID: 428895

Date: 14 April 2017 - 23:17

RNA - The US used the alleged chemical attack as a pretext to carry out missile strikes on Shayrat air base in Homs Province, which Syria uses as a launchpad for bombing foreign-backed militant positions.

Zarif made the remarks while discussing the US strike and other Syria developments as well as issues of mutual interest in phone talks with his Kazakh, Venezuelan, Brazilian and Bolivian counterparts on Thursday.

In his conversation with Kazakh counterpart, Kairat Abdrakhmanov, the Iranian foreign minister discussed the latest about Syria peace talks in Astana, the third round of which concluded on March 15.

Zarif also denounced the "unilateral American action" in his talks with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez and called for the Non-Aligned Movement to play an active role in Syria developments. Caracas currently holds the rotating chair of the 120-member group.

The Iranian foreign minister further condemned the chemical attack in Syria in his conversation with his Brazilian and Bolivian counterparts, Aloysio Nunes and Fernando Huanacuni, the report added.

The gas attack in the town of Khan Shaykhun in Syria’s Idlib Province reportedly left at least 87 people dead.

Western countries rushed to blame the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the incident without providing any evidence.

Damascus has categorically denied the allegation, saying its airstrike had targeted a depot, where terrorists had stored chemical weapons.

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