Iran FM rebukes allegations of attack on US occupation bases in Syria

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
29 Mar 2023 18:21

The diplomat was speaking in reference to drone attacks which were carried out over the span of two consecutive days on March 23-24.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian speaks during a press conference with his Iraqi counterpart Fouad Hussein during his visit to Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023 (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

At a joint press conference following a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Wednesday that US accusations alleging Iran carried out an attack on US occupation bases in Syria are wrong, noting that Tehran has no intention of fueling tensions and has always called for enhancing regional peace and security.

The diplomat was speaking in reference to drone attacks that were carried out over the span of two consecutive days on March 23-24. Several drones had targeted occupation bases in Syria's occupied Al-Hasakah province, resulting in the death of one US contractor and six others, according to the US DoD.

In response, the US claimed it carried out attacks on facilities belonging to groups affiliated to the IRGC in Syria, as per US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

A senior Iranian advisor told media reports on that day that the US waged an aggression on civilian sites in Deir Ezzor from an occupied area in Al-Tanf, targeting food stores and service centers, leaving "seven martyrs and injures seven other innocents who did nothing wrong except for serving the locals, their people, in the area."

"Yes, recently there have been events in the east of the Euphrates. Unfortunately, the US side has made groundless accusations regarding the attack by groups close to Iran, and another claim that they have attacked with Iranian drones, these are groundless accusations," Amir-Abdollahian said.

The Iranian diplomat further noted that Washington's accusations were "baseless, unsubstantiated" and it "accused others instead of presenting any evidence."

"We do not want tension and unnecessary confrontation, the Islamic Republic of Iran has always played a positive, constructive role in lasting peace and security in the region," Amir-Abdollahian added.

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🤝 Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

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The US has for long employed the alleged "ISIS threat" as a pretext to continue its illegal occupation of northeastern Syrian territories, frequently looting oil and gas from Syrian fields and transporting them to other occupation bases in Iraq via illegal crossings.