Alwaght- Iran's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the United States' recent attacks on civilian targets in eastern Syria, rejecting Washington's claim to be fighting the ISIS terrorist group in the Arab country.
Nasser Kan'ani, the ministry's spokesman, made the remarks on Saturday, while condemning the US airstrikes on the Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor, which injured civilians, as a "terrorist and inhumane" act of aggression.
"The US' claim to be present in Syria to fight ISIS, in whose creation [Washington] itself played a substantive role, is a mere excuse for continuation of [the country's] occupation and plunder of Syria's national riches, including energy and grain," the spokesman said.
The US and its allies invaded Syria in 2014 under the pretext of fighting ISIS. The terrorist group came into being when Washington was running out of excuses to extend its meddling in West Asia or enlarge its scale.
Under former American president, Donald Trump, Washington, which has set up illegal outposts near major oil and gas fields in Deir ez-Zor province, began looting Syria's crude and other sources of energy, sustenance and income. American forces still continue their illegal presence in the Arab country, although Damascus and its allies defeated ISIS in 2017.
Iran's military advisory support, led by the country's chief anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, played an indispensable role in helping Damascus defeat the terrorist group. The United States assassinated General Soleimani, who used to command the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and his companions, in a drone strike near Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020.
“Continuation of illegal military presence of the US in addition to occupation of swathes of the Syrian soil and attacking various targets in that country amount to violation of international laws as well as the country’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
Responding to US forces' Friday attack in Deir ez-Zor, Syrian resistance fighters targeted two illegal American outposts with rockets, missiles and kamikaze drones.
Following the retaliatory attack and without providing any evidence, American officials, including the State Department, accused the Iranian advisory center in Syria of being involved in it.
In his Saturday statements, Kan'ani roundly rejected such claims, asserting, "American officials always level baseless and unproven accusations and pass judgment on their basis, but the White House must know that this method is obsolete."
He also pointed to the "significant role" played by General Soleimani and Iranian anti-terror advisors in the fight against terrorism alongside the Syrian military and nation.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran's military advisors are currently present in Syria at the request of the Syrian government to help this country fight terrorism," Kan'ani said, adding that those advisors will remain in Syria to help its government establish peace, stability and security across the country.
On Friday, an Iranian security official warned that the Islamic Republic will give a prompt response to any pretext for an attack on bases inside Syria established at the Syrian government’s request for the purpose of fighting terrorism.
Keyvan Khosravi, the spokesman for Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), said the US is trying to level accusations against Iran by pursuing a blame game policy and evading the consequences of its illegal occupation of a part of Syria's territory.
"Washington cannot attribute the natural and legal confrontation of the occupied countries with the US military forces to other countries by creating artificial crises and lying," the Iranian security official emphasized.
