DAMASCUS: Iran’s foreign minister on Saturday condemned an Israeli bombardier above Syria earlier in the day and said Tehran opposes any military activity by Turkey in the north of Syria.
Hossein Amirabdollahian made his comments at the start of a visit to the Syrian capital, Damascus, where he is expected to discuss joint relations and regional issues with top Syrian officials. .
Iran is one of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s strongest supporters, sending thousands of fighters from across the region to help his troops in Syria’s 11-year conflict. The war has left hundreds of thousands dead and displaced half of the country’s pre-war population of 23 million.
Amirabdollahian’s visit came a few hours later Israeli carried out an airstrike on a Syrian coastal village near the border with Lebanon that injured two people, Syrian state media reported.
It also comes after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly said he is planning a major military operation to create a buffer zone 30 kilometers (19 miles) deep inside Syria along the border. of Turkey. He said he would do so with a cross-border offensive against Kurdish fighters in Syria by US allies – an effort that failed in 2019.
“We understand neighboring Turkey’s concerns, but we oppose any military measures in Syria,” said Amirabdollahian, adding that Iran was trying to resolve “a misunderstanding between Turkey and Turkey.” Syria through dialogue”.
Analysts say Erdogan is using the war in Ukraine to advance his own goals in Syria. This week, Turkey agreed to lift its opposition to Sweden and Finland’s participation Natosaid the Nordic nations had agreed to crack down on groups that Ankara considers a national security threat, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, and its extension in Syria.
Turkey has asked Finland and Sweden to extradite wanted individuals and lift arms restrictions imposed after Turkey’s 2019 military offensive in northeastern Syria.
Amirabdollahian criticized Israel that through its airstrikes, it is trying to destabilize Syria and show the country’s lack of security.
The Israeli strike was the first since the June 10 air strike on the international airport in the Syrian capital Damascus that caused significant damage to infrastructure and airstrips, and caused significant damage to the airstrip. The main runway is unusable. The airport was closed for two weeks and flights resumed on June 23.
State news agency SANA said Israeli warplanes flying over northern Lebanon fired missiles at several chicken farms in the village of Hamidiyeh, south of the coastal city of Tartus. The attack happened a few kilometers north of the border with Lebanon.
SANA said two people, including a woman, were injured and suffered material damage.
Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes against targets in Syria over the years but rarely acknowledges or discusses such activities. Israel says it has targeted bases of militias allied with Iran, such as Hezbollah, whose warplanes are deployed in Syria fighting on the side of the Assad government and other militias. Weapon ships are said to be bound for militias.
The attack on Damascus International Airport marks a major escalation in the Israeli campaign, further increasing tensions between Israel and Iran on the one hand and its Lebanese ally, the militant group Hezbollah, on the other.
Hossein Amirabdollahian made his comments at the start of a visit to the Syrian capital, Damascus, where he is expected to discuss joint relations and regional issues with top Syrian officials. .
Iran is one of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s strongest supporters, sending thousands of fighters from across the region to help his troops in Syria’s 11-year conflict. The war has left hundreds of thousands dead and displaced half of the country’s pre-war population of 23 million.
Amirabdollahian’s visit came a few hours later Israeli carried out an airstrike on a Syrian coastal village near the border with Lebanon that injured two people, Syrian state media reported.
It also comes after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly said he is planning a major military operation to create a buffer zone 30 kilometers (19 miles) deep inside Syria along the border. of Turkey. He said he would do so with a cross-border offensive against Kurdish fighters in Syria by US allies – an effort that failed in 2019.
“We understand neighboring Turkey’s concerns, but we oppose any military measures in Syria,” said Amirabdollahian, adding that Iran was trying to resolve “a misunderstanding between Turkey and Turkey.” Syria through dialogue”.
Analysts say Erdogan is using the war in Ukraine to advance his own goals in Syria. This week, Turkey agreed to lift its opposition to Sweden and Finland’s participation Natosaid the Nordic nations had agreed to crack down on groups that Ankara considers a national security threat, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, and its extension in Syria.
Turkey has asked Finland and Sweden to extradite wanted individuals and lift arms restrictions imposed after Turkey’s 2019 military offensive in northeastern Syria.
Amirabdollahian criticized Israel that through its airstrikes, it is trying to destabilize Syria and show the country’s lack of security.
The Israeli strike was the first since the June 10 air strike on the international airport in the Syrian capital Damascus that caused significant damage to infrastructure and airstrips, and caused significant damage to the airstrip. The main runway is unusable. The airport was closed for two weeks and flights resumed on June 23.
State news agency SANA said Israeli warplanes flying over northern Lebanon fired missiles at several chicken farms in the village of Hamidiyeh, south of the coastal city of Tartus. The attack happened a few kilometers north of the border with Lebanon.
SANA said two people, including a woman, were injured and suffered material damage.
Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes against targets in Syria over the years but rarely acknowledges or discusses such activities. Israel says it has targeted bases of militias allied with Iran, such as Hezbollah, whose warplanes are deployed in Syria fighting on the side of the Assad government and other militias. Weapon ships are said to be bound for militias.
The attack on Damascus International Airport marks a major escalation in the Israeli campaign, further increasing tensions between Israel and Iran on the one hand and its Lebanese ally, the militant group Hezbollah, on the other.
