Russia, Iran Request Unbiased Investigation Into Syria ’Chemical Attack’
Local Editor
Russia and Iran issued a joint call for an "unbiased investigation" into the chemical weapons incident which provoked Donald Trump to launch missiles at an airbase in Syria.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif agreed to make the call on Monday while denouncing the US attack on the Syrian airbase as "an act of aggression against a sovereign nation".
It comes as the UK and US prepare to lobby allies at the G7 in Italy for a tough statement against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russia's backing for it.
Since Trump ordered the launch of 59 Tomahawk missiles at the airfield in Syria's Homs province, the US and UK on one side, and Russia and Iran on the other, have made reciprocal threats of further military action.
A spokesman from the Russian Foreign Ministry told the country's state news agency Tass that Lavrov spoke with Zarif on the phone on Monday.
He said: "Lavrov and Zarif called for carrying out a thorough and unbiased investigation into the incident in the Syrian province of Idlib that has led to numerous deaths among the civilian population.
"[They] discussed the situation in Syria after the US launched a missile strike on the airbase in that country."
He added: "Both sides emphasized that such aggressive actions against a sovereign independent country are a flagrant violation of international law, above all, the UN Charter, create threats for regional security and impair the fight against international terrorism."
The two ministers agreed to maintain close contacts "with a view to further coordinating cooperation on the pressing bilateral and international issues."
In the wake of the strike, both US and UK diplomats and politicians warned that Trump is willing to take action again if the circumstances merit it.
Meanwhile, Russia and Iran also warned the US that they will 'respond with force' if red lines are crossed in Syria again.
With US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson heading to Moscow later this week, he and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson went to Italy on Monday to gather support from G7 nations for a tougher statement of intent on Syria, with new sanctions on Russia a possibility.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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