Iranian Officials Warn Against US Military Strike on Syria

Iranian officials warned against the regional consequences of a US military strike on Syria, and assured that

Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said on Saturday “The US opinion about its ability to limit a military intervention to Syria is nothing more than an illusion. The reactions will go beyond Syrian borders.”

Jafari added that Washington’s failure to create a coalition to wage a new war in the Middle East region has led the US to seek a military intervention limited to Syria.

He advised Washington to learn from its experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Just as US meddling in the Muslim world has led to the spread of extremism, violence and terrorism, attacking Syria will intensify the spread of extremism,” Jafari added.

For his part, commander of Iran’s volunteer Basij Force, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi noted that Washington’s warmongering against Syria is part of the US expansionist policy and a measure to protect the “Israeli” regime.

“Their aim is not to fight terrorism or counter [the use of] chemical bombs; their goal is domination, oppression, plunder and defending the Zionist regime,” said on the sidelines of a conference commemorating Iranian terror victims held in Tehran on Saturday.

Naqdi recalled how the US has been leading the war in Afghanistan which started with the 2001 invasion of the country under the pretext of removing the Taliban from power, saying that the occupation has inflicted widespread insecurity in the country.

“Today, under the pretext of chemical weapons they are seeking to deal a blow to the resistance in Syria,” he added.
Moreover, Chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of Iran’s Majlis Alaeddin Boroujerdi said in Damascus on Saturday that “Any war and military strike against Syria will have a scope beyond the Syrian borders.”

“We, on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran, once again announce to Syrian authorities and the international community our opposition to any attack and war against Syria,” Boroujerdi stressed.

Boroujerdi, heading an Iranian parliamentary delegation to Syria, made the remarks after holding talks with Syrian Parliament speaker Mohammad Jihad al-Laham.

The visit is part of Tehran’s efforts to show support for the Syrian government amid recent threats by the United States and its allies to take military action against the Arab country.

Also, Chairman of Iran’s Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani accentuated that a potential US strike on Syria will not be limited to the Arab country and would engulf the entire region.

Rafsanjani on Saturday expressed concern about mounting tensions in Muslim countries, saying the height of these tensions were in Syria.

“It seems that the main objective of US adventurism in the region is not limited to Syria and engulfs the entire region.”

“…a US attack and aggression will probably not be confined to Syria and the outbreak of war in this country and in fact their dangerous warmongering game could engulf the entire region,” he said.

Rafsanjani warned the US and its allies against attacking Syria and said they might start the war of their own will but the end of this war would be out of their control.

He also underlined the strategic significance of Syria in the region and said Damascus was the stronghold of resistance against the Zionist regime.

More on the topic, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham says militarism and adventurism will have no result in the Middle East, calling for a political solution to Syria crisis.

“[Iran] has repeatedly issued necessary warnings about adventurism in the [Middle East] region and the consequences of a military action [against Syria],” Afkham told reporters on Sunday.

“Iran has clear viewpoints on regional issues and we believe political approaches must be applied to crises including the crisis in Syria,” the new Iranian spokeswoman stated.

Afkham described preparing the ground for negotiations among different Syrian sides as a political solution and urged all regional countries to move in this direction.

She went on to ask regional states to refrain from adventurism which would have serious consequences and create more tension in the Middle East.

On August 21, the Takfiri militants operating inside Syria and the foreign-backed Syrian opposition claimed that the government forces had used chemical weapons in an attack against militant strongholds in the suburbs of Damascus, killing hundreds of people.

The Syrian government has categorically rejected the claim as part of a false-flag operation, but Washington has used the pretext to step up its war rhetoric against Syria.

US President Barack Obama said on Saturday that he has decided to attack Syria and now seeks an approval for the move from the Congress, which will debate the issue when lawmakers return from recess on September 9.

In response to the US warmongering, Iran’s Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari declared that the Islamic Republic’s new destroyer, Lavan, will soon join the country’s naval fleet.

“The overhaul of the Islamic Republic’s destroyer, Lavan, is complete and [the vessel] will soon join the Navy,” Sayyari said on Sunday while elaborating on the latest achievements of the country’s naval forces.

Sayyari highlighted the importance of a strong naval force, saying, “The Navy should be able to defend national interests in territorial and free waters so that it could guarantee the country’s progress.”

The US has deployed five destroyers to eastern Mediterranean as part of its plans to launch a military strike against Syria. The US has stepped up its war rhetoric against Syria based on accusations that the government in Damascus used chemical weapons against militants on August 21.