The joint command center of Russia, Iran, Syria and their allied forces (Hezbollah and other pro-government factions) allegedly issued a statement condemning the US military strike on Syrian forces.
The statement described the attack that targeted an airbase belonging to the Syrian Arab Army as a flagrant breach of all “red lines.”
According to the statement, the allies will respond to any new agression and will increase support to the Syrian people and the country’s armed forces on all levels.
“What America waged in an aggression on Syria is a crossing of red lines. From now on we will respond with force to any aggressor or any breach of red lines from whoever it is and America knows our ability to respond well,” the text of the statement reads.
The statement also condemned the incident in Khan Sheikhoun and added that the Syrian military was not responsible for the alleged chemical attack.
The statement has already become popular in the mainstream media:
It’s important to note that the statement was released via “non-official” media channels linked to the Iranian-Syrian-Russian alliance’s forces operating in Syria.
The full text of the statement allows to suggest that the Russians were not deeply involved in preparing it. Most likely, the statement was the Iranian initiative.
The Russian Defense Ministry and the Iranian Defense Ministry have not commented on the issue yet.
Many sources suggest that the Iranian-Syrian-Russian alliance could launch a fresh military operation in order to reach Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib’s southern countryside. The control over this village will allow to open a real investigation of the alleged chemical attack in the village.
A text of the statement released by Hezbollah’s media wing in Syria
Full statement:
The joint command center (Russia, Iran and the allied forces) in Syria issued the following statement:
1. The US attack against Syria is a dangerous violation and bold aggression against the sovereignty of the country and its people. It is condemned and it proves once again the wrong options choosen by the US.
2. This attack is a notorious continuation of injustice and discrimination against Syria, in a time when it has been fighting multinational terrorism on behalf of the entire world for 6 years, sacrificing the blood of many of its people to achieve victory over those barbaric terrorists.
3. We condemn any attack on civilians whoever they are. And what happened in Khan Shaykhun is condemned. However, we believe that it has been prepared ahead by some countries and organizations to make it a pretext for attacking Syria.
4. Those who support, train and fund terrorist groups such as Daesh [ISIS], al-Nusra and their affiliates, those who violate the legitimate rights of the people of the country, and those who used the veto dozens of times against the Palestinian people has no right to present their selves as a human rights defender and pretend caring for the dignity of the peoples of the region especially in Syria, Iraq and Palestine.
5. The arrogant US neither waited anybody’s permission nor respected the member states of the United Nations Organization, and before the results of the investigations on the Khan Shaykhun were issued. The US attacked Syria and boasted what it did.
6. We are not ignorant of what the US is seeking to achieve in Northern Syria and Northwest Iraq. They have to know that we are accurately observing every single step and movement they make, and that their attempt to control this areas makes them an illegitimate power aiming to occupy sovereign Syrian lands.
7. What America waged in an aggression on Syria is a crossing of red lines. From now on we will respond with force to any aggressor or any breach of red lines from whoever it is and America knows our ability to respond well.
8. This US behavior won’t hinder our battle to get rid of terrorism, we will continue our fight by the side of the Syrian Arab Army and the friendly Syrian Armed Forces to liberate every Syrian land from the dirty occupation.
9. Russia and Iran won’t allow the US to control the world and impose the unipolar system by continuing direct aggression against the Syrian state, violating international laws and the United Nations framework, and will stand against the US powerfully no matter what.
10. In response to this criminal aggression, we, as Syria allies, will increase our support of the Syrian Arab Army and the brotherly Syrian people in various means.
