SYRIA: Iran pledges to stand by Syria in face of any threat

Record ID: 279147

  • Title: SYRIA: Iran pledges to stand by Syria in face of any threat
  • Date: 1st May 2010
  • Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (APRIL 30, 2010) (REUTERS) MEETING OF SYRIAN-IRANIAN HIGHER COMMITTEE VARIOUS OF SYRIAN PRIME MINISTER NAJI AL-OTRI DURING MEETING VARIOUS OF IRANIAN PREMIER VICE-PRESIDENT MOHAMED RIDA RAHIMI VARIOUS OF MEETING OTRI AND RAHIMI ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE HALL VARIOUS OF RAHIMI AND OTRI SYRIAN MINISTERS RAHIMI TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (Persian) MOHAMED R
  • Embargoed: 16th May 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA2NX9RTB4UGTDISYMYQUXIMZYI
  • Story Text: Iran pledged its support for Syria on Friday (April 30), following Israeli and U.S. allegations Syria had supplied missiles to Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas.
    "We stand by the brotherly and friend country Syria to face any threats and we are standing by it with every effort permanently because if those who are occupying Palestine wanted to do anything this time, their legs would be cut as much as they invade", Iranian Premier Vice-President Mohamed Rida Rahimi told a joint news conference with Syrian Prime Minister Naji al-Otri in Damascus.
    "Syria is a strong country that is able and ready to face any threats and without any doubt, Iran will stand by Syria with all its strength on all levels," Rahimi said, following a meeting of the Syrian-Iranian Higher Committee.
    U.S. and Israeli defence ministers accused Syria on Tuesday (April 27) of arming Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas with increasingly powerful missiles, but Israel said it did not intend to provoke a conflict over the buildup.
    The comments by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Israel's Ehud Barak stopped short of identifying what type of missiles were being supplied to Hezbollah, after reports that the group had obtained long-range Scud missiles capable of hitting targets across the Jewish state.
    U.S. intelligence and defence officials have cast doubt on Israeli allegations that Scud missiles have reached Lebanon.
    Gates, who spoke alongside Barak after a meeting at the Pentagon, said Syria as well as Iran were providing Hezbollah with weapons of "ever increasing capability."
    Barak said the missiles could "disrupt the very delicate balance in Lebanon" but he played down the chances of a conflict over the transfers, which have grabbed headlines since the Scud allegations surfaced in a Kuwaiti media report on April 10 and were endorsed by Israel's head of state, Shimon Peres. "We do not intend to provoke any kind of major collision in Lebanon, or vis-a-vis Syria ... but we are watching closely these developments and think that they do not contribute to stability in the region," Barak had said.
    The missile allegations involving Syria have complicated President Barack Obama's efforts to forge a rapprochement with Damascus, which his administration sees as crucial to Middle East peace efforts and to stabilize the nascent democracy in neighbouring Iraq.
    Obama aims to return an ambassador to Damascus after a five-year absence. But the designated envoy, Robert Ford, is still awaiting confirmation by the full Senate.
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