Roundup: Iran slams recent U.S. missile attack on Syria

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday slammed the recent U.S. missile attack on a Syrian air base, Tasnim news agency reported.

He described the U.S. missile attack "contrary to all international principles," saying that Washington did not even ask for permission from the United Nations or its congress for the attack.

Rouhani also urged for an appointment of a fact-finding mission over the recent chemical use against the civilians in the Syrian Idlib province.

"Biased sides should not be included in the mission and the United States should not lead it, but the issue should be rather investigated by impartial countries to find out where chemical weapons had come from, who had brought them in or whether there were any chemical weapons involved or not," Press TV quoted him as saying.

The United States launched 59 Tomahawks at the Shayrat Air Base in central Syria on Thursday, the Pentagon confirmed, saying the strike was intended to deter the Syrian government from using chemical weapons again.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Thursday that the Syrian recent airstrike on a rebel-held town in Idlib province in northwestern Syria struck a rebel depot containing chemical materials, denying that the air force fired toxic gas during the attack.

On Friday, Iran's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the U.S. missile attack on a Syrian army air base, calling it a "dangerous" action, Press TV reported.

The U.S. missile attack on Syria is a "pretext for unilateral action, dangerous, destructive and violation of peremptory principles of international laws," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also censured the U.S. military's missile attack.

Referring to the chemical weapons used against the civilians in Syria recently, Zarif said "as the only recent victim of mass use of chemical weapons, Iran condemns use of all weapons of mass destruction by anyone against anyone."

Besides, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani on Friday slammed the U.S. missile attack, warning that such "criminal" acts would only complicate the political and security conditions in Syria, according to Tasnim.

"Undoubtedly, such measure that will complicate the political and security situation in Syria and create dangerous and unforeseeable processes will not undermine the Syrian government and nation's determination to decisively fight against terrorism," Shamkhani was quoted as saying.

"We hope that the new U.S. administration would not seek the past bitter experiences for the American military forces and people in Syria," he added. Endit