President Hassan Rouhani condemned the Friday night missile strikes by the US, UK and France on Syria, warning that the military intervention in the war-ravaged country will only inflict further harm on the region.
The three countries launched more than 100 missiles against what they claimed were Syrian chemical weapons facilities following alleged chemical weapons assault in a Damascus suburb a week ago that they blame on the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
"US aggressions in the region will lead to nothing but more destruction and are aimed to justify the presence of [the Americans] in the region," Rouhani was quoted as saying by his official website.
Addressing a meeting with the Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei attended by senior officials and ambassadors of the Muslim countries, Rouhani said the attack was made out of frustration over failure by the western powers to accept gains made by pro-Assad forces, especially in Syria’s Eastern Ghouta region.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran has and always will support the oppressed nations of the region and the world and will welcome any request of help from regional governments in their fight against terrorism," the president said.
He reaffirmed the same position in a phone talk with his Syrian counterpart later in the day.
"Iran has stood by Syria and its people. We are certain that this aggression will not undermine the resolve of the Syrian nation in their anti-terror war," he said.
Iran denies western charges of destabilizing the region, insisting that it intervened in the Syria conflict on the request of the government in Damascus.
Russia and Iran, the main backers of the embattled Assad, dispute the US-led charges of chemical weapons used by Syria's government against its opponents, arguing that no such attack occurred and that only the western-backed rebels in Syria have access to the banned chemical weapons.
