Russia’s threat to strike back at US
RUSSIA: Russia and Iran yesterday threatened military retaliation against the United States, accusing US President Donald Trump of crossing ‘‘red lines’’ by ordering a cruise missile attack on a Syrian air base.
The two military allies of Syria said the US bombardment had violated international law and, in a statement, added: ‘‘From now on we will respond with force.’’
The warning came after the Russian embassy in London suggested that British and American attempts to deliver an ultimatum to the Kremlin this week could result in a ‘‘real war’’.
The threat from Russian and Iranian forces came as Washington intensified pressure on Bashar al-assad and his backers, with Trump’s administration saying there was now ‘‘no way’’ a peace settlement could be found with the Syrian dictator still in power. In a significant change of stance towards regime change in Syria, Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said last week’s missile strikes were designed to let Russia know ‘‘we’re not going to have you cover for this regime any more’’.
H R Mcmaster, the White House national security adviser, said Russia and Iran were enabling Assad’s ‘‘campaign of mass murder against his own civilians’’ and that America was ‘‘prepared to do more’’.
Rex Tillerson, US secretary of state, said Washington would expect Russia to rethink its support for Assad because ‘‘every time one of these horrific attacks occurs, it draws Russia closer into some level of responsibility’’.
However, a joint command centre made up of forces from Russia, Iran and militias supporting Assad said they would redouble their backing, after 59 US cruise missiles hit Shayrat air base in retaliation for a suspected chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun earlier last week.
’’What America waged in an aggression on Syria is a crossing of red lines,’’ the centre said.
‘‘From now on we will respond with force to any aggressor or any breach of red lines from whoever it is and America knows our ability to respond well.’’
The joint command centre also said the presence of US troops in northern Syria where Washington has hundreds of special forces helping the Syrian Democratic Forces to oust Islamic State was ‘‘illegal’’.
Washington also had a longterm plan to occupy the area, they said.
In a separate phone call between Moscow and Tehran, Russian president Vladimir Putin and Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani said that US aggression against Syria violated international law.
The two leaders also called for an investigation into the nerve gas attack in Idlib province, which Syria has claimed was caused by a stockpile of rebel-held chemical weapons being hit by one of their stray bombs.
They said they were ready to deepen co-operation to fight terrorism.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, accused the US of making a ‘‘strategic mistake’’ by attacking Syria
He said the country would not back down. – Telegraph Group