Top Commander: US-Led Aggression Shows Washington's Anger for Defeats

Rasa - Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri blasted Washington for leading an aggression against the Syrian government, and said that the cause of the US-led attacks is the defeat of the terrorists in the region, specially in Syria and Iraq.

News ID: 437222

Date: 16 April 2018 - 22:21

RNA - "The US-led attacks on Syria are result of the aggressors’ anger at defeat of terrorists," General Baqeri said in a telephone conversation with Syrian Defense Minister General Ali Abdullah Ayoub .

General Baqeri underlined that the criminals’ who did that illegal and brutal act will not benefit from it, and said, "The attacks, on the contrary, have made the people and government of Syria more united against the internal and external enemies."

He renewed Iran's support for Syria, and said that the Iranian nation and armed forces will continue to fight the criminal terrorists along with the Syrian nation and the armed forces.

The Syrian  defense minister, for his turn, expressed his gratitude for the Iranians’ support and briefed the Iranian official on the effects of the aggressions, and said they did not cause major casualties as Syria’s air defense repelled a lot of the missiles.

General Ayoub also said the attacks have resulted in boosting the moral of the Syrian Army and nation, and stressedthat with help and support of Iran and Russia they will continue to fight the terrorists until they are expelled from the country.

US, British and French forces launched over 100 missiles on Syria early Saturday morning, and Russia says Damascus has managed to dodge 71.

In a televised address to the nation, US President Donald Trump said the three nations partnered in the missile launch.

The strikes were the biggest overt attack by the three Western powers against Syria in the country's seven-year-old civil war, which has pitted the US and its allies against Russia.

Other NATO members refrained from partnership in the attack, although NATO secretary general voiced his support for the move.

Israel was also absent from Saturday's strike, fearing Iran's response. After a recent missile strike on Syria's T4 base that killed 12, including 7 Iranian military advisors, Tel Aviv has been on guard in anticipation of Iran's tough reprisal.

Reports coming out of a national security meeting in the White House three days ago said Defense Secretary James Mattis opposed striking targets that would provoke Tehran and Moscow's response, urging Trump and National Security Advisor John Bolton to think wisely and narrow down the scope of the attack.

The Pentagon claimed the strikes targeted a research center in greater Damascus and a chemical weapons storage facility and a command post west of Homs, while the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has officially stated complete disarmament of Syria since two years ago.

The missile strikes took place as a team of OPCW is in Damascus to probe the alleged chemical incident in Douma last week, but the trio western allies didn't wait for the result of their work for somehow unknown reasons.

Following the attack, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei voiced strong condemnation for the aggression, and described the American, British and French heads of state as war criminals.

"This early morning strike against Syria is a crime. I clearly declare that the US, French and British heads of state are criminals and committed a crime," Ayatollah Khamenei said.

Meantime, the Iranian foreign ministry also strongly condemned the attack, warning that the aggression would entail dire repercussions in the region and beyond.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a phone conversation with his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Muallem deplored the Saturday morning US-led missile strikes against Syria, describing the move as "criminal and illegal".

Also, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani condemned the missile strikes, stressing that the attacks were the result of Washington and its allies' anger and desperation at the recent defeats sustained by the western-backed terrorists in Eastern Ghouta of Damascus.

"The US aggression on the region will lead to nothing but annihilation and destruction," Rouhani said, asking whether the US, the Zionist regime of Israel and their allies, specially the UK and France, have not learned a lesson from the incidents in the past 17 years.

Also in a phone conversation with President Assad, Rouhani vowed to continue support for Syria after the Saturday morning strikes.

During the phone conversation on Saturday, President Rouhani told Assad that Tehran will stand by Damascus, and voiced confidence that "this aggression would not weaken the determination of the Syrian people in its war against terrorism".

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), meantime, in a statement strongly condemned a recent attack by the United States, Britain and France on Damascus, and said such onslaughts would boost the Syrian nation’s resolve in its fight against terrorism.

"The US, Britain and France carried out the criminal and deceitful attack in Syria based on a false claim that the Syrian government had used chemical weapons in the militant-held town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta region," the IRGC's statement said.

Also, Deputy Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Brigadier General Yadollah Javani warned the US to "wait for the repercussions of its attack on Syria", saying that the Saturday offensive "gave the Resistance Front a more open hand for showing reaction to such moves by the US and its allies".

Russia's Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said in a statement that Russia had warned that "such actions will not be left without consequences".

Syrian state TV said the attacks wounded six people in Damascus and three others in Homs.

Later on Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry declared in a statement that the Syrian air defense units have intercepted 71 of the 103 missiles fired at the country.

Several explosions were heard in the Eastern and Southern parts of the capital of Damascus. Al-Alam Arabic TV displayed scenes of public gathering in support of the government in the streets of Warzah in Damascus near an attack site.

Footage coming from Syria shows that people are waving flags of Syria, Iran and Russia in the streets of Damascus, in a show of appreciation.

Witness accounts said nearly 20 Cruise missiles flew towards targets around the capital, but nearly half of them were intercepted.

The Syrian state-run news agency also said that "many missiles missed their targets or were intercepted thanks to the Syrian air defense".

A senior commander of the coalition supporting Syria in the war on terrorism said Damascus had already evacuated the targeted sites after it had been alarmed by the Russian intelligence services few days ago.

According to Fars News Agancy, the Russian defense ministry said none of its bases and sites in Syria have been targeted. But the Arabic service of Russia's state news agency Russia Today said the attack by the trio western states "sparked a major war that will herald World War III".

The Russian Defense Ministry stated that most missiles launched by the Western states on Syria had been downed by the Arab Republic's air defenses, when approaching targets.

"The Syrian air defense system has been conducting an anti-air fight," the Ministry added.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Syria repelled the Western attack by air defense complexes made in the USSR over 30 years ago.

"Syrian means of air defense: S-125, S-200 air defense systems, Buk and Kvadrat were used in the repelling the missile strike," it noted.

Russia's air defenses haven't been used to repel the missile strike on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, the Military underlined.

"None of cruise missiles launched by the US and its allies did not enter the zone of responsibility of the Russian air defenses, covering objects in Tartus [naval facility] and Hmeymim [airbase located in the Lattakia province]," the Russian Defense Ministry explained.

According to the Russian military, the massive missile strike on objects of military and civilian infrastructure was conducted by US warships jointly with the UK and French air forces.

Hezbollah of Lebanon also issued a statement minutes ago, vowing to stay beside Syria.

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