Iran would consider any attack on Syria attack on itself - official
January 26, 2013 - 11:49 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran would consider any attack on Syria an attack on
itself, a senior government official was quoted as saying on Saturday,
Jan 26, in one of Tehran's most assertive defenses of its ally yet,
Reuters reported.
Iran is a key supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who is
fighting a near two-year-long revolt. Tehran has already repeatedly
warned the West against intervening in the conflict against Assad.
"Syria has a very basic and key role in the region for promoting firm
policies of resistance ... For this reason an attack on Syria would be
considered an attack on Iran and Iran's allies," Mehr news agency
quoted Ali Akbar Velayati, an aide to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, as saying.
Tehran sees Damascus as part of an axis of opposition to Israeli and
Western influence in the Middle East.
In September, an Iranian military official was quoted as saying Iran
would take action if the United States was to attack Syria.
Shi'ite Muslim power Iran and Syria, whose leader follows an offshoot
of Shi'ite Islam, signed a mutual defense pact in 2006, but little is
known of its details or whether there are any other signatories.
Iran accuses Western powers and regional states of supporting and
arming the Syrian rebels, while the rebels accuse Iran of sending
fighters from its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to help Assad
crush the uprising.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
January 26, 2013 - 11:49 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran would consider any attack on Syria an attack on
itself, a senior government official was quoted as saying on Saturday,
Jan 26, in one of Tehran's most assertive defenses of its ally yet,
Reuters reported.
Iran is a key supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who is
fighting a near two-year-long revolt. Tehran has already repeatedly
warned the West against intervening in the conflict against Assad.
"Syria has a very basic and key role in the region for promoting firm
policies of resistance ... For this reason an attack on Syria would be
considered an attack on Iran and Iran's allies," Mehr news agency
quoted Ali Akbar Velayati, an aide to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, as saying.
Tehran sees Damascus as part of an axis of opposition to Israeli and
Western influence in the Middle East.
In September, an Iranian military official was quoted as saying Iran
would take action if the United States was to attack Syria.
Shi'ite Muslim power Iran and Syria, whose leader follows an offshoot
of Shi'ite Islam, signed a mutual defense pact in 2006, but little is
known of its details or whether there are any other signatories.
Iran accuses Western powers and regional states of supporting and
arming the Syrian rebels, while the rebels accuse Iran of sending
fighters from its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to help Assad
crush the uprising.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress