In conversation with Iran, Syria’s Assad vows to ‘crush’ enemies following Western strikes

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Saturday responded to US-led airstrikes the previous night on three targets in the country allegedly used to produce chemical weapons.

“This aggression will only make Syria and its people more determined to keep fighting and crushing terrorism in every inch of the country,” he was quoted as saying in a statement published by his office.

According to Reuters, Assad’s comments were made in a conversation with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, a supporter of Syria during the country’s years-long civil war.

Rouhani told the Syrian President that Iran would continue to stand by Syria, “expressing his confidence that this aggression would not weaken the determination of the Syrian people in its war against terrorism,” Reuters reported.

The Syrian government criticized the airstrikes by the US, France, and the United Kingdom, describing the attack as a “brutal, barbaric aggression” and in violation of international law.

“The Syrian Arab Republic condemns in the strongest terms the brutal American-British-French aggression against Syria, which constitutes a flagrant violation of international law,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Rouhani claimed the joint military action would worsen the already fragile situation in the Middle East.

“Such attacks will have no result but more destruction,” the Iranian leader was quoted as saying by the semi-official Tasnim news agency. “The Americans want to justify their presence in the region by such attacks.”

On Friday night, Trump addressed the nation and announced that America had joined allies France and the UK in launching “precision strikes” against the Syrian regime after last week’s alleged chemical attack on eastern Ghouta that killed dozens of people.

He noted the military action was directed at “targets associated with the chemical weapons capabilities of Syrian dictator” Assad.