Damascus strike
Photo: Reuters
Iran condemns Israeli airstrike in Syria
Spokesperson for Islamic Republic urges countries in region to remain united against Israel; general offers to help train Syrian military
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman is condemning an Israeli airstrike in Syria on a shipment of Iranian-made missiles, but gives no other hints of a possible stronger response from Tehran or its allies.
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Ramin Mehmanparast is quoted Sunday by the semiofficial Fars news agency as denouncing the attack on the missiles, which were believed en route to Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. It's the first Iranian comments since Israel launched a first round of airstrikes on Friday, then another round on Sunday.
Mehmanparast urges countries in the region to remain united against Israel, but gives no other suggestions of possible further action in response.
Also in the wake of the strike, a senior military chief told official news agency Irna that Iran is ready to "train" the Syrian army should the need arise.
Head of the country's infantry General Ahmad-Reza Pourdastan said, however, the Iranian military would not take active participation in its Syrian counterpart's operation, emphasizing the Syrian military has "experience in confronting the Zionist regime" without foreign help.
The attack signals a sharp escalation of Israel's involvement in Syria's more than 2-year-old civil war between rebels and the forces of President Bashar Assad, a key Iranian ally.
