Russia, Iran slam US-led strikes on Assad regime in Syria

MOSCOW/ TEHRAN

Russia and Iran, both allies of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, strongly condemned joint strikes carried out on Syria by the United States, France and Britain on April 14.

Strikes on Syria will exacerbate humanitarian catastrophe in the country, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on April 14 in his first public speech following the military actions.

While “strongly condemning” the Western moves, Putin also said Russia will call an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council over the U.S.-led strikes on Syria.

Meanwhile, the Russian army said Syrian air defense units downed 71 out of 103 cruise missiles launched by the U.S. and its allies, and that the Russian Air Force is “combat-alert.”

Iran also reacted harshly to the joint airstrikes against the Syrian regime’s suspected chemical sites in the wake of a suspected chemical attack that reportedly killed dozens outside the capital Damascus.

In a statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the U.S. and its allies “will assume the responsibility for the regional and trans-regional consequences of this adventurism.”

“Iran is opposed to the use of chemical weapons on the basis of religious, legal and ethical standards, while at the same time it strongly condemns [using this] as an excuse to commit aggression against a sovereign state,” said the statement cited by local media.