Published 17:49 IST, January 8th 2020
Syrian FM expresses 'full solidarity' with Iran amid heightened tensions
Amid tensions between Iran-US, Syria's Foreign Minister Wallid Muallem expressed 'full solidarity' with Iran, as cited by many international media reports.
Amid escalation of tensions between the United States and Iran, Syria's Foreign Minister Wallid Muallem has expressed 'full solidarity' with Iran, as cited by many international media reports. He further also reportedly blamed Washington for escalating the conflict and said that Iran had the 'right to respond to US aggression'. According to international media reports, Syria had also slammed the US airstrikes in Iraq that resulted in the killing of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard corps, Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
The reported statement from the Syrian Foreign Minister came after Iraq's Ain al-Asad air base housing US troops was hit by over a dozen rockets on Wednesday. The recent turn of events took place after Iran's Parliament on Tuesday unanimously passed a bill to designate the US military as 'terrorists' over the assassination of Soliemani. "Any aid to these forces, including military, intelligence, financial, technical, service or logistical, will be considered as cooperation in a terrorist act," the bill said. Iranian state media claimed that '80 American terrorists' were killed in the missiles fired in Iraq. Further adding that US military equipment was "severely damaged."
Iran defends missile attack
The Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has also defended missile attack on US airbases in Iraq by calling it a "legitimate self-defence". Zarif told state TV that Iran's action was a legitimate self-defence and that Washington should avoid assessing it based on illusions. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei also said the country has delivered 'slap in face' to US. Khamenei, in a televised address, said that the US cut off Soleimani’s hand so Iran, in response, will cut their legs off in the region.
Iraqi security officials told an international news channel that there were no casualties among Iraqi security forces following the attack in Anbar province and Erbil. The death of General Soleimani and Iraq's pro-Hezbollah Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis marks a significant watershed in the Middle Eastern policy and the Iran-US relations. In the past decade, under the leadership of Soleimani, Iran conducted proxy wars across the Middle East region in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and parts of Lebanon controlled by Hezbollah. He was instrumental in shaping Iran's influence in the region, which was threatened by arch-foes --the West, Saudi Arabia, and Israeli.
Updated 17:49 IST, January 8th 2020