Iranian Spokesman Slams US Threats against Assad Gov't
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi slammed recent military threats by Washington against Damascus and expressed the hope that the US officials would avoid taking such an “unwise” action.
“The US’s hostile policies toward regional countries are not something new,” Qassemi told reporters in a press conference in Tehran on Wednesday.
The US cannot interfere in Syria, the spokesman said, adding that any military action against the Damascus government would be “a kind of aggression”.
“The people of the region have shown that they do not accept the presence of foreigners, and we hope that the US will avoid its unwise decision,” he noted.
Qassemi further pointed to Iran’s advisory presence in Syria and said the Islamic Republic is fighting against terrorism at the official request of the Damascus government to help fight terrorism and return to calm, and we hope that Syria will return to Syrians through political negotiations as soon as possible.
The comments came as the Trump administration has considered new military action against the Syrian government in response to reports of chemical weapons use, officials said, according to a recent report by the Washington Post.
“President Trump requested options for punishing the Assad government after reported chlorine gas attacks — at least seven this year — and possibly other chemicals affecting civilians in opposition-controlled areas,” the report said.
In response, the Russian military has also threatened action against the US if it strikes Syria's capital city of Damascus, media reports said on Tuesday.
