US-led strikes boost Syria's resistance in face of terror: Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps

A Syrian soldier is seen near a destroyed building in Damascus, Syria, on April 14, 2018. (Photo by Reuters)

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has strongly condemned a recent attack by the United States, Britain and France against Syria, saying it will boost the Syrian nation’s resolve in its fight against terrorism.

In a statement released on Saturday, the IRGC said the US, Britain and France carried out the criminal and deceitful attack in Syria based on a false claim that the Syrian government had used chemical weapons in the militant-held town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta region.

The joint strikes were a "flagrant and undeniable crime" by the three countries and proved "their disgraceful defeat in supporting Takfiri terrorists" and saving them, it added.

The IRGC said the seven-year experience of war in Syria and full resistance of the country's army, government and people against "an all-out proxy war [waged] by the [global] arrogance and Zionism and Takfiri terrorists" showed that the resilient Syrian nation, backed by Damascus’ strategic allies, would not stop moving in this path until achieving a full victory.”

The criminals, aggressors and their regional supporters would achieve nothing, it pointed out.

In the early hours of Saturday, the three Western states launched a barrage of missile attacks against Syria in response to what they claim to be a chemical attack in Douma. Syria has no chemical arsenal and has rejected any role in the suspected gas attack.

Syrian air defenses, however, responded firmly, shooting down most of the missiles fired at the country.

The Russian military said Saturday that the three countries had fired 103 cruise missiles, including Tomahawk missiles, at Syria but that Syrian air defense systems managed to intercept 71 of them.

"All together, 103 cruise missiles were deployed," senior military officer Sergei Rudskoi said at a briefing in Moscow. "Seventy-one cruise missiles were intercepted."

Syria missile attack, clear example of US criminal approach: Hatami

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami also said on Saturday that the missile attack on Syria was another clear example of the US criminal approach against the oppressed nations in the region.

In a telephone conversation with his Syrian counterpart Ali Abdullah Ayyoub, the Iranian defense minister said the criminal act by Washington, Paris and London was a breach of international law and human principles.

He added that the global arrogance led by the US has for many years interfered in the internal affairs of Muslim countries.

Supporters of terrorists, including some Western and regional countries, carry out such criminal acts at any time they see their plots failed, he said.

Hatami warned that arrogant powers that have ordered the attack on Syria must know that their missiles could never dent the resolve of the Syrian government and resistance to "protect the country's people and restore stability and security to Syria."

The Iranian defense minister once again reiterated the Islamic Republic's support for the Syrian government and nation in their fight against terrorists.

The Syrian defense minister, for his part, said close relations between Tehran and Damascus show solidarity and unity between the two nations in the battle against terrorists and their sponsors.

Ayyoub emphasized that such criminal acts would have no impact on Syria’s resolve to fight terrorists until their complete elimination.