Rouhani: US Allies to Suffer in Aftermath of Attack on Syria
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Any type of foreign military intervention in Syria can have negative consequences not only for the region, but also for US allies, and no side is to gain in case of an attack, President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran believes, and it has already noted, that any type of act against Syria will be to the detriment of not only the regional countries, but also the US allies, and we believe no one will benefit from such a move,” Rouhani said, addressing an Assembly of Experts session here in Tehran.
"Security and stability of Syria is very important for us," he said, adding the Islamic Republic has a huge responsibility in this respect.
The US has been pushing to attack Syria, but found itself largely isolated as only France has said it is ready to join the US in a possible attack on Syria.
President Rouhani added that fortunately the West, which wanted to attack Syria under some pretexts, is facing problems, and the UK parliament rejected the principle of Britain taking part in a military strike against Syria, because "they have experienced the aftermath of war in this region and are aware of its destructive consequences."
He said that Obama's decision to put off an attack on Syria and seek authorization from Congress was a sign that such a move lacked international legitimacy and faced strong opposition inside the country.
The US says it wants to punish the Syrian government, after foreign-backed opposition forces accused President Bashar al-Assad’s forces of carrying out a chemical attack on militant strongholds in the suburbs of Damascus on August 21, a charge the Syrian government has strongly denied.
US President Barack Obama, however, stopped short of ordering a strike on Saturday and said he would seek the endorsement of Congress for any assault on Syria.
But he has a tough task convincing a skeptical public before it strikes Syria. A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed some 56 percent of those surveyed said the United States should not intervene in Syria, while only 19 percent supported action. And the Congress, which Obama wants to give the green light for an attack, is deeply divided on the issue.
