Iran warns US actions “wont go unanswered”

Any new US action in Syria “will not go unanswered”, Iran’s Defense Minister Hussein Dehqan warned Tuesday after America threatened to follow up a strike last week with more attacks.

The United States last week fired a volley of cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack that killed 87 civilians in Idlib.

“The Americans will have to pay a heavy price if they repeat their action and they must know that their actions will not go unanswered,” Dehqan said during a telephone conversation with Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu.

Dehqan accused American leaders of lying by saying they wanted to “fight terrorists”.

“Instead of bombing, the Syrian army and the Syrian people are being bombed,” Dehqan said, quoted in a statement on the website of his ministry.

“The resistance front will continue to fight resolutely against terrorists despite the willingness of the Americans,” he added.

The statement quoted Shoigu as saying that “Russia is determined to use its political and military capabilities to bring decisive blows to terrorists”.

Dehqan also spoke with his Syrian counterpart Fahd Jassem al-Freij, the defense ministry said.

The two agreed to “strengthen their cooperation to step up operations against terrorists”, it said.

They also called for a commission to reveal “the truth about the Americans’ false claims” regarding last week’s suspected chemical attack on Khan Sheikhun.

“This kind of action (by the US) will have no effect on the determination of the resistance front to fight terrorists,” they added.