US strikes in Syria only serve to bolster extremism: Iran diplomat
A senior Iranian diplomat has slammed the United States’ so-called anti-ISIL campaign in Syria, noting that Washington’s insane strikes, which actually target the country’s infrastructure, only serve to bolster extremism.
“The illegal and insane US attacks on Syria will only lead to further strengthening of extremism in the region,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in a Monday interview.
He noted that the US is actually destroying the Syrian infrastructure in its so-called campaign against ISIL Takfiris, arguing that that Washington must prove its honesty by blocking the Takfiri group’s financial transactions.
“If the US is honest, it should prevent the ISIL’s dollar-based transactions in the financial and banking system instead of targeting Syria’s oil and gas facilities and infrastructure,” the Iranian diplomat said.
Amir-Abdollahian also pointed to the US schemes to overthrow the Syrian government since 2011, saying, “Regime change in Syria through the simultaneous strengthening of terrorism and propaganda military strikes is a dream that will not come true.”
US-led airstrikes against ISIL continue to target Syrian infrastructure across the country and have led to more civilian deaths.
Since September 22, the US and its allies, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan, have been conducting airstrikes against the ISIL inside Syria without any authorization from Damascus or a UN mandate.
The airstrikes are an extension of the US-led aerial campaign against ISIL positions in Iraq.
While most European governments have refrained from joining the US-led air campaign in Syria, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium and Britain are contributing to the US campaign.
Washington has been supporting the militants operating against the government in Syria since March 2011. Many ISIL terrorists have reportedly received training by the CIA in Jordan and Turkey. Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been also staunch supporters of militants fighting the Syrian government.
