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| Rohani, Putin say war on Syria would destabilize region |
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 TEHRAN – Iranian President Hassan Rohani and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have warned that any military strike against Syria would adversely affect the entire Middle East region.
During a telephone conversation late on Wednesday, the two presidents said a resort to force against Syria would be a blatant violation of international law, and emphasized that efforts should be made to prevent such an assault.
Rohani stated that Iran condemns use of chemical weapons by anyone and anywhere, stating that it is dangerous to jump to conclusions before all aspects of the alleged chemical weapons attacks in Syria are fully investigated.
Rohani also cautioned that any military action against Syria would impose heavy losses on the region, announcing that the Islamic Republic is ready to cooperate with Russia to take every measure to prevent such an action.
President Putin, for his part, said that Moscow denounces use of weapons of mass destruction, particularly chemical weapons, and expressed regret that the international community has so far failed to perceive “who” has actually used chemical weapons in Syria.
He went on to say that there is no evidence proving that the Syrian government used chemical weapons, noting that Moscow believes that the Syria Army, which has an upper-hand in the conflict with foreign-backed rebels, doesn’t need such weapons.
He also said that if the United States has any intelligence proving that the government of Bashar al-Asad used chemical weapons against its people, it should present them to the UN inspectors, who are currently in Syria.
Moscow believes that no foreign country can make decision for the Syrian people, Putin added.
The Russian president also noted that Moscow is in consultation with all countries that are involved in the Syria issue, particularly Iran.
Elsewhere in their remarks, Rohani and Putin called for increased economic ties between Tehran and Moscow.
MT/PA
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