Iran warns Israel on Syria crisis exploitation

A senior Iranian diplomat has warned Israel against taking advantage of the ongoing crisis in Syria and its continued support for terrorist groups operating against the Damascus government.

"The Zionist regime's links with terrorists [fighting in Syria] through Golan Heights have been laid bare to everyone, and this issue poses a security threat not only to the [Middle East] region, but to the [entire] world," Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran's deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, said in Moscow on Tuesday..

“In addition to the Zionist regime, we warn all the regime’s allies that they should prevent such provocations and we are in agreement with our partners in Russia [on the point] that these actions will further complicate the situation,” he added.

Syria says Israel and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri militant groups operating inside the Arab country.

The Syrian army has repeatedly seized huge quantities of Israeli-made weapons and advanced military equipment from the foreign-backed militants inside Syria.

The Tel Aviv regime has a long history in supporting militant groups against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over the past more than four years of turmoil in the Arab country.

According to the documents from Israeli hospitals, until last September, Israel’s military had paid USD 10 million from its budget for the treatment of the terrorists injured during clashes with the Syrian government forces.

Reports say Israel has set up field hospitals near the border with Syria to treat the injured militants coming in from the battlefield.

Elsewhere, Amir-Abdollahian also warned Israel against the killing of Palestinians and the construction of illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian lands.

The Iranian diplomat noted that if the child-murdering Zionist regime refuses to stop its actions against the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied al-Quds (Jerusalem), it will receive a “firm and crushing” response.

He said the Israeli regime’s provocative measures in the Golan Heights and its settlement plans in the occupied Palestinian lands should be stopped immediately.

Amir-Abdollahian further said Iran and Russia strongly support a peaceful solution to the Syria crisis.

“Iran and Russia are the serious and main partners in a peaceful settlement of the crisis in Syria, and emphasize that Bashar al-Assad, the legitimate president of this country, should be part of the negotiations about Syria’s political future,” he said.

He noted that Tehran and Moscow are determined to do everything in their power to help end the current crisis in Damascus, saying, “Any idea should entail firm and effective fight against terrorism.”

The conflict in Syria, which started in March 2011, has reportedly claimed more than 240,000 lives up until now.

The violence has also forced over four million Syrians to take refuge in neighboring countries, including Jordan and Lebanon. According to the United Nations, more than 7.6 million others have been displaced within Syria.

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