image Foreign Ministers, Sergei Lavrov (C) of Russia, Walid al-Muallem (L) of Syria and Mohammad Javad Zarif of Iran, attend a news conference in Moscow, Russia, April 14, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin - RTX35J44

Russia and Iran align their position with regard to the US strike on Syria

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met over the weekend with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif to discuss the situation in the war-torn-country. The meeting in Moscow aimed at represented an aligned-position between Russia and Iran with regard to the American strike on the Syrian military, a move condemned by both countries as illegal. During their meeting, the Iranian foreign minister declared the American attack, which Washington said came in response to a chemical attack blamed on the Assad regime, as a “very dangerous activity” that must be prevented in the future. 

“The use of chemical weapons as a pretext for violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of an independent state, a member of the United Nations – is a very dangerous activity. And in this case international investigation is necessary. It is essential to prevent such acts as the events in Khan Sheikhoun in future,” said Zarif

Both Moscow and Tehran believe the alleged use of chemical weapons was used as a pretext for the United States to attack the Syrian air-force base from where Washington claimed Assad’s war-planes emanated. Since then Russia, Iran and the Syrian government provided a united demand, urging the United Nations to launch an investigation that would prove the chemical weapons originated from a rebel’s weapons cache. That position is vehemently rejected by the United States, however, which announced it has proof that the Syrian regime was behind the attack, a reality American officials told TV7, gave President Donald Trump the right to enforce a red line, declared by Washington in the past, on several occasions.