Syrian FM Expresses 'Absolute Solidarity' With Iran's Right to Respond to US Aggression

On 8 January, Iran carried out airstrikes against American military bases in Iraq housing US-led coalition forces, which was preceded by last week's assassination IRGC Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani.

The Syrian foreign minister has expressed "absolute solidarity" with Iran in its right to respond to US "aggression", while blaming Washington for escalating the conflict.

"Syria expresses absolute solidarity with Iran... and reaffirms its right to defend itself in the light of American threats and attacks, and puts the blame for all the consequences on the United States", reads a statement from the country’s foreign ministry as quoted by Syrian state TV channel Ikhbariya.

The Syrian foreign ministry also said that the United States was to blame for fuelling conflicts in the region. 

Damascus earlier strongly condemned the assassination of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani and Deputy Chairman of Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport on 3 January, also calling it a "criminal aggression".

The death of Soleimani was followed by Iranian promises to avenge his assassination. On Wednesday morning, two series of airstrikes were launched by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeting US military facilities in Erbil and the Ayn al-Asad Air Base in Iraq, which houses American military personnel and coalition forces.

Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif called Tehran's actions "proportionate measures", while Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has branded the overnight missile attacks as a "slap" in Washington's face. The White House has not confirmed any American casualties following the attacks.