Iranian FM, UN envoy discuss Syrian crisis

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has once again warned of grave consequences of any military intervention in Syria.
Zarif made the remarks on Friday during a telephone conversation with Lakhdar Brahimi, the United Nations and Arab League Special Envoy to Syria, in which the two officials discussed the latest developments in the crisis-hit Arab country.

The foreign minister condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria and expressed concern about any new “act of adventurism” in the region.

Brahimi had said on Wednesday that any U.S. military action taken in response to apparent chemical weapons attacks in Syria would need to be approved by the United Nations Security Council.

“I think international law is clear on this. International law says that military action must be taken after a decision by the Security Council. That is what international law says,” he told a news conference in Geneva.

“I must say that I do know that President Obama and the American administration are not known to be trigger-happy. What they will decide I don’t know. But certainly international law is very clear – the Security Council has to be brought in.”

Brahimi also said it seemed that “some kind of substance” had been used near Damascus on August 21, killing hundreds of people, but that he awaited evidence from UN inspectors currently visiting the sites.