Iran foreign minister condemns Israel assault on Syria

Iran Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has condemned Israel’s strike on Syria as blatant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Damascus.

“Undoubtedly, this blatant violation is in line with the policy of the West and the Zionists to…deflect [the world’s] attention from the achievements of the Syrian nation and government in maintaining sovereignty and restoring stability and security to the country,” Salehi said on Thursday.

He added that the assault proves the Syrian nation and government’s rightful stand in supporting anti-Israel resistance and further reveals that the terrorist groups fighting against Syrian government are moving in line with Israel’s objectives.

Pointing to Israel’s plots against Muslim nations, the top Iranian diplomat also called on regional countries to remain vigilant and help stop the continuation of the Tel Aviv regime’s crimes.

On Wednesday, the Syrian army said two people were killed and five others injured in an Israeli airstrike on a research center in Jamraya, near the capital, Damascus. Israel declined to comment on the issue.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March 2011. Many people, including large numbers of security personnel, have been killed in the violence.

The Syrian government says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants fighting the Syrian government are foreign nationals.