Iran, Syria condemn Israeli aggression on consulate, assassination
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Syria's Foreign Minister tells Al Mayadeen that the Israeli occupation entity cannot affect the relations between Damascus and Tehran.
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Emergency services work at the destroyed Iranian consulate building after it was targeted by an Israeli airstrike, which led to the martyrdom of senior IRGC officials in Damascus, Syria, on Monday, April 1, 2024 (AP)
Against the backdrop of the Israeli assassination of a senior IRGC commander in Syria on Monday, the Iranian Ambassador to Syria Hossein Akbari reiterated that the Islamic Republic will continue to stand by Resistance movements and nations that tread this path.
Earlier today, the Israeli occupation targeted and destroyed the Iranian consulate in Syria, which is annexed to the country's embassy, leading to the martyrdom of at least 5 people, three of whom were Iran's military attachés in Syria, according to Akbari.
Read more: Syria fends off simultaneous Israeli aggression, HTS terrorist attacks
مشاهد متداولة للمبنى الذي استهدفته طائرات الاحتلال في حي المزة في #دمشق #الميادين#سوريا pic.twitter.com/VRprNzr4gm
— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) April 1, 2024
Talking to Al Mayadeen, the envoy said that "the entity is committing acts that contravene humanity" and its attack reflects the "reality of the Zionist entity that does not respect any international norms and laws," confirming that the Islamic Republic will not be intimidated by the occupation entity.
Concluding his statement, the Iranian diplomat warned that the Israeli crimes "must be stopped," or else, "many [parties] will be affected in this [new] equation."
Read more: Dozens killed, injured in Israeli, terrorist attacks on Syria's Aleppo
Shortly following the attack, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad headed a delegation and visited the Iranian embassy to check on the staff's safety following the Israeli aggression.
From the embassy, he held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian to offer his country's condolences, unwavering support, and commitment to mutual ties.
During the call, Amir-Abdollahian held "Israel" responsible for the consequences of its crimes and stressed that the attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus is "a breach of all international conventions."
Amir-Abdollahian also expressed gratitude to Minister Mekdad for promptly showing solidarity with his Iranian "brothers" in the embassy in Damascus. "This act sends a powerful message of support, reaffirming that Syria and Iran stand united against Israeli barbarism, which has exceeded all limits."
Read more: Exclusive: US-Israeli attacks on Syria kill 6 troops, IRGC advisor
On his part, Mekdad expressed to Al Mayadeen strong condemnation of the "heinous terrorist" Israeli attack, emphasizing Syria's longstanding position that the "Zionist entity is a symbol of terrorism in the world" and that the "massacres it committed in Gaza" are an indication of its criminal nature.
He also highlighted the strong relations between the two countries.
“We, at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, affirm once again that Israel cannot affect the relationship between the Syrian Arab Republic and the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Mekdad told our correspondent in Syria, pointing out that the attack on Iranian diplomatic facility is prohibited under international law, which is binding to all United Nations members signatories.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani strongly condemned the Israeli attack on its consulate in Damascus, which left several people martyred and injured.
Kanaani considered this offensive attack as a gross violation of international regulations, especially the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, adding that the Israeli aggression should be condemned in the strongest terms by the international community and the United Nations.
He also maintained that necessary action should be taken against the aggressor.
The attack is being investigated, and the responsibility for its consequences lies with the aggressor Zionist regime, he stressed.
Stressing Tehran's right to respond to the aggression, Kanaani said, "Tehran will decide on the type of response and punishment against the aggressor."
"استهداف السفارات ممنوع في القانون الدولي وكل أعضاء الأمم المتحدة وقعوا على ذلك، ونؤكد مرة أخرى أنّ "إسرائيل" لا تستطيع أن تؤثر على العلاقات السورية الإيرانية"
— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) April 1, 2024
وزير الخارجية السوري فيصل المقداد لـ #الميادين بعد العدوان الإسرائيلي على #دمشق#طهران #سوريا pic.twitter.com/CoLLY8YAw2
