Supreme chief says Iranian intel warned of ‘enemy’ threats, denies ‘axis of resistance’ is weakened by fall of key ally.
Iran’s Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused the US and Israel of orchestrating the toppling of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whereas additionally blaming a “neighbouring” nation of Syria.
“There must be little doubt that what occurred in Syria was the results of a joint American-Zionist plot,” mentioned Khamenei, addressing the autumn of al-Assad for the primary time in a speech delivered in Tehran on Wednesday.
Whereas emphasising that the US and Israel had been the principle conspirators, Khamenei additionally alluded to the function performed by “a neighbouring state of Syria”, in line with state information company IRNA.
The neighbour had a “clear function and continues to take action,” mentioned Khamenei, with out naming the nation.
Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkiye all share borders with Syria. Of these neighbours, Turkiye has lengthy supported sure Syrian opposition forces.
Khamenei additionally mentioned that Iranian intelligence had warned the Syrian authorities about threats to its stability over the previous three months, including that Damascus had “uncared for the enemy”.
Blow to ‘axis of resistance’
Syrian rebels’ lightning push to the capital, Damascus, from their strongholds within the northwest ended the decades-long rule of al-Assad’s household.
Iran and Russia had propped up al-Assad’s rule after the eruption of battle in 2011 with army and political help, in addition to fighters and airpower.
On Tuesday, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, mentioned no Iranian forces remained in Syria.
Al-Assad had lengthy performed a strategic function within the Iran-led “axis of resistance” in opposition to US and Israeli affect within the area, which incorporates armed teams.
Talking hours after al-Assad fled Syria on Sunday, US President Joe Biden claimed the tip of al-Assad’s rule was partly attributable to US backing for Israel’s battle on Gaza and its struggle in opposition to Hezbollah in Lebanon, in addition to help for teams in Syria and Iraq that weakened Iran.
He additionally pointed to US help for Ukraine’s battle in opposition to Russia’s invasion, which siphoned assets from Moscow, and mentioned US forces would stay in northeast Syria.
Israel, in the meantime, has carried out lots of of air assaults throughout Syria because the overthrowing of al-Assad, hitting key army websites, whereas its troops have moved right into a demilitarised zone inside Syria, together with the Syrian facet of the strategic Mount Hermon that overlooks Damascus.
However Khamenei on Wednesday mentioned occasions in Syria wouldn’t diminish Iran’s energy, dismissing ideas that the nation could be weakened as “ignorant” and arguing that resistance would develop.
“The extra strain you apply, the stronger it turns into; the extra crimes you commit, the extra motivated it turns into; the extra you struggle them, the extra expanded it turns into,” he mentioned.
Hours after al-Assad’s fall, Iran mentioned it anticipated relations with Damascus to proceed, primarily based on the 2 international locations’ “far-sighted and clever strategy” and known as for the institution of an inclusive authorities representing all segments of Syrian society.
