Iran strongly denies baseless US claims of involvement in Jordan op.

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
30 Jan 2024 11:13
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Iran's United Nations Ambassador asserts that no group affiliated with Iran's Armed Forces, in Iraq, Syria, or elsewhere, operates under the control or on behalf of Iran.

Iran's United Nations Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani speaking at a UN session in 2023 (IRNA)

Iran's United Nations Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani has emphatically denied the accusations made by the United States regarding the country's alleged engagement in anti-American activities in West Asia.

Iravani conveyed these remarks in a letter directed to the president of the UN Security Council on Monday. The letter was issued three days after a letter from the US ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, accusing "militia groups affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Armed Forces" of undertaking "actions against US personnel and facilities in Iraq and Syria."

Iravani affirmed that "there is no group affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Armed Forces, whether in Iraq, Syria, or elsewhere that operates directly or indirectly under the control of the Islamic Republic of Iran or acts on its behalf."

"Therefore, the Islamic Republic of Iran is not responsible for the actions of any individual or group within the region," Iran's UN ambassador stressed.

Regarding the US presence in Syria and Iraq, Iran's ambassador asserted that "...the actions carried out by the United States in Syria and Iraq are unlawful and contravene both international law and the UN Charter.... Therefore, the U.S. notification presented to the Security Council in the mentioned letter ... lacks a legal basis and does not justify such actions."

Resistance groups respond independently to Gaza genocide: Iran

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani emphasized yesterday that Iran has consistently alerted to the risk of escalating regional tensions into a full-blown war.

This escalation is attributed to the persistent assaults by "Israel" on the Palestinian people and the comprehensive backing provided by the United States for the ongoing Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, as per Kanaani.

The high-ranking Iranian diplomat further stated that Tehran views the recurrent infringement on the national sovereignty of Iraq and Syria by US forces, along with US attacks on Resistance groups, as a contributing factor to the escalating cycle of instability in the region.

"Re-emphasizing the importance of maintaining peace, stability, and security in the region, the Islamic Republic of Iran believes that war in Gaza is not the solution and ending the attacks of the Zionist regime on Gaza and an immediate ceasefire can be the basis for the return of peace to the region," he stressed.

In response to US accusations against Iran in the recent drone attack that resulted in the death of three US troops in Jordan, Kanaani was quoted as saying, “As we have clearly stated before, the resistance groups in the region are responding [to] the war crimes and genocide of the child-killing Zionist regime and… they do not take orders from the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

“These groups decide and act based on their own principles and priorities as well as the interests of their country and people,” he further stressed.

Kanaani added that the US unfounded accusations were stimulated by “specific political goals to reverse the realities of the region” and were “influenced by third parties, including the child-killing Zionist regime."

"Iran monitors developments in the region with readiness and vigilance, and the responsibility for the consequences of provocative accusations against Iran rests with the perpetrators of such baseless claims," he concluded.

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This comes shortly after US President Joe Biden addressed the drone attack on US forces in the Jordanian-Syrian border area, which resulted in the deaths of three American soldiers and wounded dozens.

“We had a tough day last night in the Middle East. We lost three brave souls in an attack on one of our bases,” President Joe Biden said in South Carolina.

On his account, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed his profound outrage and deep sadness over the deaths. He vowed that the strike "would not go unanswered."

On Sunday morning, informed sources told Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Syria that "the drone attack targeted the al-Tanf Base on the Syrian-Jordanian-Iraqi border triangle, resulting in casualties among US forces inside the illegitimate base."

The sources mentioned that "the drones managed to bypass an advanced air defense system and penetrated the al-Tanf Base." They also noted that this attack came one day after the attacks on the Conoco base north of Deir Ezzor, which resulted in the injury of three soldiers.

Later, citing a US official, Reuters reported that the number of US soldiers injured in the drone attack in north East Jordan has exceeded 40.

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Sunday evening that three US soldiers were killed, while at least 25 others were injured in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border.

"On Jan. 28, three U.S. service members were killed and 25 injured from a one-way attack UAS that impacted at a base in northeast Jordan, near the Syria border," CENTCOM said before adding that the identity of those killed while deployed will not be revealed for 24 hours.