Iran denounced Israeli “lies” on Saturday and said Syria had the right to “legitimate self-defense” in response to air strikes launched by Israel after an alleged Iranian drone incursion into its territory. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said.
Iranian spokespersons went on to claim that the downed Iranian drone by Tel Aviv was on a surveillance operation monitoring Daesh.
Ghashmi also re-iterated Tehran’s position that it “does not have a military presence in Syria, and has only sent military advisers at the request of the Syrian government.”
Lebanon also criticized the Israeli air strikes, and said it would write a letter of protest to the United Nations over the use of its airspace for the raids, according to a statement from its foreign ministry.
On the other hand, Lebanon pro-Iranian militia Hezbollah indicated in a statement that the downing of an Israeli F-16 jet fighter is “the start of a new strategic phase” which would limit Israeli exploitation of Syrian airspaces.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Saturday that all countries in the region should respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It also said that any threats to the safety of Russian servicemen in Syria are unacceptable. (arab news)
