Iran Military Commanders Renew Support for Syria after US-Led Strike

TEHRAN (Basirat) :Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri and Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami condemned the Saturday’s US-led missile strike on Syria, reaffirming Tehran’s support for the Syrian government and nation.

In separate telephone conversations with Syria’s Defense Minister Ali Abdullah Ayoub on Saturday evening, the Iranian commanders slammed the trilateral attack from the US, Britain and France against Syria as a criminal move aimed at making up for the defeat of West-baked mercenaries in the Arab country.

The aggressors would not make any gains from the "illegal and barbaric” strike, Major General Baqeri told the Syrian minister, adding that the offensive will strengthen unity between the Syrian government and nation against enemies.

The Iranian general also described the trilateral missile attack as a result of the "definite defeat of terrorists” and of the outstanding victories for the Syrian Army.

"The nation and the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to fight alongside the Syrian people and the Syrian Armed Forces against the criminal terrorists,” Major General Baqeri added.

In a separate telephone conversation, Iranian Defense Minister Hatami assured his Syrian counterpart of Tehran’s continued support for the Arab country in the fight against aggressors.

The Iranian minister also hailed the Syrian air defense’s success to intercept many of the missiles fired on Saturday morning as a "major step towards the ultimate victory” over the arrogant powers and their mercenary terrorists.

He further took a swipe at the "triangle of evil” (the US, Britain and France) for supplying Saudi Arabia with the bombs that are being dropped on the Yemeni women and children every day, saying the supporters of terrorism, including some Western and regional governments, commit such crimes whenever their plots are thwarted.

"No doubt such crimes (missile strike on Syria) will bring (the perpetrators) nothing but embarrassment in the face of human moral sense,” the Iranian minister noted.

In comments made a few hours after the US-led attack on Syria, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei deplored it as "a crime”, calling the presidents of the US and France as well as the British prime minister "criminals”.

In the early hours of Saturday, the three Western states launched a barrage of missile attacks against Syria in response to what they claim to be a chemical attack in Douma. Syria has rejected any role in the suspected gas attack.