Iran to Respond to Any US Aggression on Its Forces in Syria: FM

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: Financial Times

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told the Financial Times that Iran would respond fiercely to any acts of aggression committed against its forces in Syria.

Iran would fiercely respond to any US acts of aggression against its forces in Syria, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told the Financial Times during an interview that aired on Saturday.

Amir-Abdollahian revealed that according to his information, no Iranian forces suffered any casualties thus far. However, he emphasized that "if that happens, the response will be severe."

When asked about the factions within the Axis of Resistance, the Iranian minister clarified that these factions, such as Hezbollah, Ansar Allah, and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, are resistance movements in the region against Israeli occupation. He highlighted that they have an "independent identity" and stated that they "do not receive orders from Iran but have good relations with it."

He added, "Israel represents the United States by proxy, but we do not have any group representing us by proxy in the region."

Hezbollah has entered into the stage of war with the Israeli occupation, the Iranian top diplomat said, confirming that the messages sent by the US to Hezbollah "have a counterproductive effect", as not only will they not deter it but will make it more resolute in its decisions.

Regarding the deployment of US aircraft carriers in the region, Amir Abdollahian explained that according to military experts, the arrival of US ships in the Mediterranean was not in Washington's interest because it increased the possibility of attacks on its fleets.

"Over the past fourty days, messages have been exchanged between Iran and the US via the US Interests Section at the Swiss Embassy in Tehran, indicating that Tehran does not want the war to escalate."

Any possibility should be considered due to the approach followed by the United States and "Israel" in the region and the ongoing crimes against the people of Gaza and the West Bank, Amir-Abdollahian said, and "if the crimes against the people of Gaza and the West Bank are not stopped, any possibility could be considered, and a wider conflict could prove inevitable."

The Palestinian resistance in Gaza "never asked Iran to enter the war," he said. "They have everything; they produce rockets and drones themselves, and they can produce the military equipment they need inside Palestine."

The fate of this war, Amir-Abdollahian underlined, will be determined by the resistance factions, not the Israeli occupation, which will not withstand a war of attrition, "considering the information we have and after meetings with leaders in the region."

"There is no way to get Israeli prisoners released except through diplomacy," he added.

Demise of 'Israel' closer than ever

During a press conference on Thursday, Brigadier General Abdolrahim Mousavi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Army, said that Operation Al-Aqsa Flood has hastened the deterioration of the Zionist entity. 

"The Zionist regime, the killer of children, has entered a stage of [sharp] deterioration after the Al-Aqsa Flood," he said. 

"What is happening today in Gaza has unveiled the true face of the United States and the Western supporters of the Zionist regime."

He added that this war is evidence that the countries of the region have no choice but to rely on their local capabilities to safeguard their national interests and the dignity of their people. "Iran believes that the victory of the Palestinian people and the demise of Israel [is inevitable]," Mousavi added. 

Iran, in light of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, has been voicing support for the Palestinian people and supporting the Resistance while calling for a ceasefire as the Israeli occupation has killed thousands upon thousands of civilians.

Calls for ceasefire

Iran's Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, has urged an immediate cessation of the brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza, emphasizing that "Israel" has no potential of winning the war.

During a meeting with the head of UN humanitarian operations in Geneva, Martin Griffiths, on Wednesday, Amir-Abdollahian stated that the Israeli attacks on the Palestinian people in Gaza only escalate the costs for Washington as an ally of "Tel Aviv".

“Unfortunately, the scope of the Zionist regime’s attacks on Gaza is expanding, and it is necessary to take immediate and effective measures to stop them,” he said.

“There is no chance for the Zionist regime to win the war, and it will only increase the costs for the US government as the biggest supporter of the Zionist regime that is responsible for the continuation of the aggression. As a result, it is necessary to focus efforts on a ceasefire and an immediate halt to the war,” he added.