Iran: US Military Intervention Troubling Political Settlement of Syria Crisis

Rasa - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif blasted the US for launching military attacks against Syria, expressing concern that the United States' increased military moves have slowed down political efforts to resolve the crisis.

News ID: 437401

Date: 28 April 2018 - 22:09

RNA - "The US and some of its western allies' military actions in Syria have created dire conditions and lessened the grounds to reach a political solution," Zarif told reporters on Saturday upon arrival in Moscow to discuss Syria with his Russian and Turkish counterparts as three guarantor states to establish peace in the war-torn Arab country.

He said that during the tripartite meeting, Iran will reiterate the need for efforts to find a political solution to the crisis in Syria and opposition to any attempts to distort the country's territorial integrity and national sovereignty.

Zarif underlined again Tehran's opposition to the use of chemical weapons, but stressed that "impartial international experts should be hired to prove chemical weapons' use in any place, and no country can make unilateral decisions and actions" before realities are uncovered.

According to Fars News Agancy, his remarks came a few days after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in a message to his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad underlined his country's continued support for Damascus in the fight against terrorist groups and efforts to reconstruct the war-hit country.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran will remain beside the Syrian government and nation in this (anti-terrorism) fight and will continue its assistance until annihilation of all evil forces and the return of security and stability to the entire Arab Republic of Syria," President Rouhani said in the message on the occasion of the Independence Day in Syria last Saturday.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to stand beside you with all its possibilities to reconstruct Syria as it has been beside the Syrian nation in the fight and confrontation against terrorism," he added.

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