Iran News Round Up

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) released an official statement following the April 14 U.S.-UK-French missile strikes against Syrian chemical weapons facilities. The IRGC condemned the missile strikes and called the strike a response to recent U.S. losses in Syria. The IRGC’s statement expressed confidence that the Syrian regime and army will be able to fend off “aggressors and criminals” and continue their efforts until “complete victory [is achieved].” (Tasnim News Agency)

Armed Forces General Staff (AFGS) Chief Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri discussed the U.S.-led missile strikes in Syria during a telephone call with Syrian Defense Minister General Ali Ayyoub. Bagheri called the U.S.-UK-French strikes “illegal” and “savage.” Bagheri also stated that the “Syrian government and nation will become more cohesive and united against the attack[s] of foreign and internal enemies” following the April 14 strikes. Bagheri stressed continued Iranian support in fighting alongside the Syrian people and the Syrian armed forces against terrorism. Ayyoub stated that “luckily the [strikes] did not do much damage and that the Syrian Army, with precise [air] defense, [successfully] targeted a considerable amount of the aggressive missiles.” Ayyoub stated that the joint missile strikes “will not tarnish the Axis of Resistance and the Syrian Army’s determination to continue the fight against terrorism and to expel [terrorists] from Syria.” Ayyoub also stated that Syria will continue cooperating with “Russia and Iran in the Axis of Resistance in countering terrorism.” (Tasnim News Agency)  

• Defense Minister Artesh Brig. Gen. Amir Hatami also discussed the recent missile strikes during a telephone call with Ayyoub. Hatami lauded Syria for “targeting the majority of the missiles.” (Tasnim News Agency)

President Hassan Rouhani and Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the April 14 U.S.-led missile strikes in Syria during a phone call on April 15. President Hassan Rouhani stated that if the international community “allows and [fails] to enact a penalty on [such] aggressions and blatant violations of international law, then we will have to become witness to new instabilities in the international regime.” Rouhani noted that the recent U.S.-led missile strikes were in response to recent U.S. losses in Eastern Ghouta, Syria at the hands of pro-Syrian regime forces. Rouhani told Putin that the recent U.S.-UK-French strikes signal that the Axis of Resistance is “confronted with new issues and problems in the final battle against terrorists in Syria.” Rouhani stressed that Iran is prepared to increase its “bilateral and trilateral cooperation with Russia [and Syria].” Putin stated that the joint missile strikes on Syrian chemical weapons installations were “nothing [short] of an international crime.” Putin noted that the U.S. decision to use the April 8 chemical weapons attack in Douma, Syria as a pretext for the April 14 strike was “unfounded and a contradiction of reality.” (President.ir)

• Rouhani and Syrian President Bashar al Assad discussed the missle strike during a telephone conversation. Both denounced the recent strike and considered the U.S.-UK-French action “criminal” and ineffective. (President.ir)

An Armed Forces General Staff (AFGS) official denied reports that Iran has permitted Russia to station “strategic planes” in Iran. The unnamed official noted that Iran and Russia continue to “deepen and expand their joint cooperation in countering terrorism.” Unverified sources claimed that Russian Special Representative Alexander Lavrentiev requested on April 10 that Iran allow Russian long-range bombers to use the Artesh Air Force’s Shahid Nojeh Air Base in western Hamedan Province. Further unconfirmed reports alleged that Iran agreed to Russian use of the air base. Russian forces previously used Shahid Nojeh Air Base to conduct operations into Syria in August 2016. (Tasnim News Agency)