Update August 31 2013:
Iran: If Syria Is Attacked, It Will Strike U.S., Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, Israel, As Well As E.U. Interests; Israel Will Be Destroyed
In response to the possibility of a U.S. military strike against Syria
following reports that Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad used chemical weapons
against his own citizens, Iran has voiced a series of threats against Arab
countries in the region and also against Israel and the West, in an attempt to
prevent attacks on its ally Syria and to ensure that Assad remains in power.[1]
Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei: An Attack On Syria Will Be A Disaster For The Region
On August 28, 2013, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that a U.S.
attack on Syria would be a "disaster for the region," adding that with such an
attack, the U.S. would not only set the entire region on fire but would itself
be harmed: "Intervention and warmongering [in Syria] will no doubt harm those
who fan the flames. If this intervention happens, the Americans will no doubt be
harmed, as they were harmed in Iraq and Afghanistan. An intervention in [Syria]
by powers from outside the region will only ignite the flames [of war] and
increase the nations' hatred towards [these powers]. Such warmongering is like a
spark in a gunpowder depot, and its dimensions and consequences cannot be
estimated."[4]
IRGC Commander Jafari: Syria Will Be A Second Vietnam For The U.S.; Israel Will Be Destroyed
In an August 28, 2013 interview with the Tasnim website, Iranian
Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander Mohammad Ali Jafari threatened: "The
Americans have had much bitter experience in Afghanistan and
Iraq. If they carry out a military attack on Syria, the chain of their defeat
will be complete, and they will experience their most shameful historic defeat
of all; in addition, Syria will become a slaughterhouse and a
war arena much more dangerous than Vietnam [ever was]. In fact, Syria will
become a second Vietnam for the U.S.
Iranian Army Deputy Chief Of Staff Masoud Jazayeri: Crossing Syria's Red Line Will Have Dire Consequences For The White House
Iranian Army deputy chief of staff Masoud Jazayeri said: "Anyone
collaborating with the U.S. and the Zionist regime in the terrorist war against
Syria will encounter problems, and those who fan these flames will not be spared
the revenge of the nations... The U.S. knows where the red lines are on the
Syrian front, and any crossing of this red line will have dire consequences for
the White House."[6]
Qods Brigades Commander Qassem Suleimani To U.S. Troops: When You Go To Syria, Don't Forget To Take Coffins
On August 29, 2013, a message for the U.S. forces from Qods Brigades
commander Qassem Suleimani was made public; it stated: "Every paratrooper who is
supposed to jump from an airplane, every rifleman who is supposed to disembark
from a warship, and every commando fighter who is supposed to climb into an
armored personnel carrier must remember to first take his own coffin. Syria is
the red line of the Islamic Revolution; it is the place [from which]
we ascend to heaven, and your graveyard."[8]
Chief-Of-Staff Hassan Firouzabadi: An Operation Against Syria Will Burn The Zionists
Iranian Army chief of staff Hassan Firouzabadi said on August 28, 2013: "Any
military operation against Syria will burn the Zionists... The U.S., U.K., and
the rest of their allies will be harmed in a show of military power in the
region and in Syria... The outcome of the resistance of the Syrian nation in any
further war will be victory..."[9]
Majlis Speaker Larijani: The War In Syria Will Spread To The Other Countries In The Region
Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani said: "The outcome of the uncalculated and unwise
move will be a conflagration that will grab the innocent countries of the region
by the throat... You can begin the operation against Syria, but you will not be
the ones to finish it. You must fear for your illegitimate Zionist offspring in
the region."[10]
Kayhan Editorial: "Syria Will Have The Upper Hand In A Potential War... As One Of The Dominant Members Of The Resistance Axis, Syria Must Not Miss This Historic Opportunity"
In its August 29, 2013 editorial, the daily Kayhan, which is close
to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, listed the targets of a possible Syrian
counterstrike – oil installations and strategic interests of countries like
Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, Turkey, and Israel, as well as American and
European facilities and interests – that will be struck by Syria's massive
missile arsenal, which includes Russian Yakhont missiles.
Kayhan: "Thousands Of Missiles Will Land Every Day In The Occupied Lands And On [Israel's] Strategic Facilities"
On August 28, the day before the publication of the editorial,
Kayhan promised that Israel and the other U.S. allies in the region,
namely Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, and Qatar, would be targeted in a
counterstrike: "It is highly likely that the recent uproar is [nothing but]
psychological warfare aimed at wringing concessions from Syria in the upcoming
Geneva conference... The U.S. can start the war [against Syria], but its end
will not be determined by [the U.S.] or by its allies...
[1] The Lebanese daily Al-Safir, which is close to the Syrian regime, claims that Iran considers Damascus the "twin" of Tehran, and it sees a war against Syria as a war against Iran. According to a source close to senior Iranian officials, Tehran has informed Russia and China that it intends to stand by Syria "to its very last breath" and will not relinquish it even if they will. Al-Safir claims that the moment it became known that there could be an attack on Syria, Iranian plans prepared in advance for just such a scenario were placed on Khamenei's desk. Iran's intention is to convey the clear message to the U.S. and the West that any such escapade, regardless of its scope, will end in a quagmire for all those participating in the attack, and that after the attack the world will never be the same. Al-Safir (Lebanon), August 28, 2013.
[2] Hizbullah MP Walid Sakariya assessed that if the
Western attack was limited in scope and not aimed at toppling the Assad regime,
Hizbullah would not be interested in intervening and widening it into a regional
conflict. However, he said, if the U.S. did seek to bring down Assad and to
besiege the resistance and deliver a serious blow to Iran and Syria, the Israeli
front would be activated. Al-Mustaqbal (Lebanon), August 29, 2013. The
Lebanese daily Al-Nahar, which is close to the March 14 Forces,
reported, citing sources close to decision-makers in Hizbullah, that Hizbullah
was continuing its policy of keeping its cards hidden and not revealing how it
might respond to an attack on Syria. Al-Nahar (Lebanon), August 29,
2013.
[3] On August 24, 2013, Majlis National Security
Committee Chairman Ala Al-Din Boroujerdi said: "Syria's regional allies will not
sit idly by in the face of a potential attack [on Syria]." Press TV (Iran),
August 24, 2013. The next day, August 25, during a visit to the Strait of
Hormuz, IRGC Commander Ali Jafari said: "Our moves depend on the positions and
measures of the enemy. So far, we have not been attacked by any state, but if
the enemy's measures, either direct or indirect, take the form of threats, we
shall regard it our undeniable right to defend ourselves... The role of the
Zionist regime in the bloody events in the region is becoming clearer by the
day, but the final outcome [of these developments] will surely not benefit this
[Zionist] regime..." Fars (Iran), August 25, 2013.
[4] Leader.ir, August 28, 2013.
[5] Tasnim (Iran), August 28, 2013.
[6] Fars (Iran), August 25, 2013.
[7] ILNA (Iran), August 28, 2013.
[8] Afsaran.ir, August 29, 2013.
[9] ISNA (Iran), August 28, 2013.
[10] Fars (Iran), August 28, 2013.
[11] Kayhan (Iran), August 29,
2013.
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