Russia and Iran renewed their support for the Syrian government in a flurry of calls today. They said last week’s US missile strike violated Syrian sovereignty but failed to boost the morale of “terror groups” in Syria.
In a phone call with Syrian President Bashar Assad, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called the strike on Friday a “blatant violation” of Syrian sovereignty. This was reported by Syrian state media.
The Kremlin said in a statement Rouhani also spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone.
The statement said that both sides noted the inadmissibility of aggressive US actions against a sovereign state in violation of international law.
Rouhani said the US strike would not affect Iran’s Syria policy, while Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran would not withdraw in the face of similar aggressions.
The US says the strike was in response to a nerve gas attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun last week, which has been widely blamed on government forces. The Syrian government has denied using chemical weapons.
