Apr 14, 2018 05:36 PM IST | Source: Moneycontrol.com
Syria crisis LIVE: Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calls attack on Syria a crime
US President Donald Trump and European allies launched precision strikes on Syrian targets associated with chemical weapons in the wake of gas attack on Douma
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highlights
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reacts, says Western attack on Syria a crime
France says its analysis points to Syria behind Douma gas attack
France has warned of further air strikes in Syria in case of fresh chemical weapons attack, news agency AFP has reported.
Strikes hit scientific research facility, chemical weapons storage and important command post
Weapons inspectors plan to head to Syria's Douma on Saturday: Sources
France says analysis of open sources, intelligence proved Syria gas attack
Attack on Syria was 'right and legal': British PM May
Britain had to act with speed, PM May will update parliament: Defence Minister
Attacking Syria a crime, US president, UK PM are criminals: Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei
Syria strikes an 'important signal' to Iran and Hezbollah: Israeli minister
Iran's Revolutionary Guards warn US, say aftermath will not be in their best interest: Fars
Syria says 110 missiles fired in strikes
Syrians gather in capital in defiance after air strikes
US, allies responsible for regional fallout of Syria strikes: Iran
Syria 'most serious threat' to international peace, security: UN chief
Russia likely to call UN meeting over Syria attack: Russian lawmaker
Russian lawmaker: US strikes on Syria violate international law
Syrian TV says 3 civilians wounded in airstrikes by US, UK, France
Pro-Assad official says targeted bases were evacuated on Russian warning
Syria attacked just as it had chance for peace: Russian foreign ministry
Red line set by France in 2017 has been crossed: French president Macron
Russian Ambassador warns US of consequences
Strikes Violate International Law: Syria
Struck Syria, But Message to Anyone Using Chemical Weapons: British PM May
Storm Shadow Missiles Used To Attack: Britain
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reacts, says Western attack on Syria a crime
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said an attack on Syria by the United States, France and Britain on Saturday was a crime and would not achieve any gains, according to Reuters.
"Today's dawn attack on Syria is a crime. I clearly declare that the president of the United States, the president of France and the British prime minister are criminals," Khamenei said in a speech, according to his Twitter account.
"They will not benefit (from the attack) as they went to Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan in the past years and committed such crimes and did not gain any benefits," Khamenei said.
Iran - the dominant Shi’ite Muslim power which is in rivalry with Saudi Arabia and the United States’ other Sunni Arab friends - has fought decades of sectarian proxy wars in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.
Iran's pragmatist President Hassan Rouhani also warned that the US-led missile attack on Syria would lead to further destruction in the Middle East, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
Russia calls for UN meet on Syria, mulls supplies of S-300 systems
Russia on Saturday called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council as Moscow said it would consider supplying S-300 missile systems to Syria following U.S.-led strikes.
"Russia convenes an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss aggressive actions of the U.S. and its allies," President Vladimir Putin said in a statement published on the Kremlin website.
"The current escalation of the situation around Syria has a devastating impact on the whole system of international relations," he added. (Reuters)
France says its analysis points to Syria behind Douma gas attack
France has concluded after analysing "reliable intelligence" and open sources that a chemical attack on Douma on April 7 was carried out by Syrian government forces, a declassified intelligence report showed on Saturday, according to Reuters.
"On the intelligence collected by our services, and in the absence to date of chemical samples analysed by our own laboratories, France considers, beyond possible doubt, a chemical attack was carried out against civilians at Douma ... and that there is no plausible scenario other than that of an attack by Syrian armed forces," the report said.
It was released after coordinated air strikes by Britain, France and the United States on Syrian government targets overnight.
"After examining the videos and images of victims published online, they (intelligence services) were able to conclude with a high degree of confidence that the vast majority are recent and not fabricated," the report said.
France has warned of further air strikes in Syria in case of fresh chemical weapons attack, news agency AFP has reported.
Cyprus says had no prior briefing of Syria strikes
Cyprus distanced itself on Saturday from Britain's air strikes on Syrian targets, saying it had no prior briefing or involvement in the action launched from a British sovereign air base on the Mediterranean island, Reuters has reported.
Four Royal Air Force Tornado jets from the Akrotiri base in Cyprus fired Storm Shadow missiles at a military facility near Homs where it was assessed that Syria had stockpiled chemicals, Britain's Ministry of Defence said.
France has warned of further air strikes in Syria in case of fresh chemical weapons attack, news agency AFP has reported.
Strikes hit scientific research facility, chemical weapons storage and important command post
According to a BBC report, in a briefing held by the Pentagon, shortly after Donald Trump's announcement, Gen Joseph Dunford mentioned three targets that had been hit:
# A scientific research facility in Damascus, allegedly connected to the production of chemical and biological weapons.
# A chemical weapons storage facility west of Homs.
# A chemical weapons equipment storage site and an important command post, also near Homs.
Weapons inspectors plan to head to Syria's Douma on Saturday: Sources
Weapons inspectors aim to press ahead with plans to head to the site of a suspected chemical weapons attack in the Syrian town of Douma on Saturday, sources have told Reuters.
Security permitting, a team from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will deploy briefly to the site where dozens of people were allegedly gassed on April 7, two diplomatic sources said.
France says analysis of open sources, intelligence proved Syria gas attack
France concluded after technical analysis of open sources and "reliable intelligence" that a chemical attack on Douma on April 7 was carried out by Syrian government forces, a declassified intelligence report showed on Saturday. The report was released after coordinated strikes by Britain, France and the United States on Syrian government targets overnight.
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May attends a press conference at 10 Downing Street, London on Saturday. Image: Reuters
Attack on Syria was 'right and legal': British PM May
British Prime Minister Theresa May on Saturday said it was right and legal to order cruise missile strikes against Syria after a chemical attack on civilians in the town of Douma. May said the aim was to deter the Syrian authorities from further use of chemical weapons and to send a message to the wider world that it was unacceptable to use such weapons.
"It was both right and legal to take military action together with our closest allies to alleviate further humanitarian suffering by degrading the Syrian regime's chemical weapons capability," May said.
She added that she would address parliament on Monday. May said intelligence and open source accounts indicated that the Syrian government was behind the attack in Douma last Saturday. "Reliable intelligence indicates that Syrian military officials coordinated what appears to be the use of chlorine in Douma on April 7. No other group could have carried this attack," May said. "The [Syrian] opposition does not operate helicopters or use barrel bombs."
Syrian soldiers hold their weapons as they dance and chant slogans against US President Trump during demonstrations following the air strikes. Image: AP
UK Prime Minister Theresa May says need for fast action, operational security led to strike without vote in Parliament. She added that reports indicate barrel bomb used in Syrian regime chemical attack on Douma
Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the overnight US-led missile attack on Syria and called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, the Kremlin said on Saturday. Putin said the US actions in Syria made the humanitarian catastrophe worse and caused pain for civilians, as well has damaging international relations.
A Royal Forces aircraft prepares for landing at British Royal Air Forces base in Akrotiri, near the costal city of Limassol, in the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus on Saturday. Image: AP
Britain had to act with speed, PM May will update parliament: Defence Minister
British Prime Minister Theresa May needed to act with speed when she ordered a missile attack on Syria and she will update parliament on Monday, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson told BBC radio. All crews from the Royal Air Force Tornado jets returned safely, Williamson said. When asked if there would be more military action against Syria, Williamson said he thought the Western strikes had so far had sufficient effect.
Attacking Syria a crime, US president, UK PM are criminals: Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said an attack on Syria by the United States, France and Britain on Saturday was a crime and would not achieve any gains. "US, allies will not gain any achievements from crimes in Syria. Attacking Syria is a crime. US president, UK prime minister and the president of France are criminals," Khamenei said in a speech cited by Iranian TV.
Syria strikes an 'important signal' to Iran and Hezbollah: Israeli minister
US-led strikes in Syria are an "important signal" to Iran, Syria and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, a senior Israeli cabinet minister said on Saturday.
"The use of chemical weapons crosses a red line that humanity can no longer tolerate," Yoav Gallant, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet, said on Twitter. "The American attack is an important signal to the axis of evil - Iran, Syria and Hezbollah," Gallant said.
An Israeli official said Israel was notified of the strikes ahead of time. Asked how much advanced warning Israel had received, the official told Reuters: "Between 12 and 24 hours, I believe."
Asked whether Israel helped choose targets, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: "Not to my knowledge."
Iran's Revolutionary Guards warn US, say aftermath will not be in their best interest: Fars
An official in Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Saturday said the fallout from US-led attacks on Syria will be at Washington's expense. "With this attack...the situation will become more complex, and this will surely be at the expense of the United States, which will be responsible for the aftermath of upcoming regional events that will certainly not be in their interest," Yadollah Javani, the Guards' deputy head for political affairs, told Fars news agency.
French Mirage, Rafale jets and frigates involved in Syria strikes: Source
French Mirage and Rafale fighter jets were involved in air strikes on Syria together with four frigate warships, a presidency source said on Saturday. This included an air defence frigate, three multi-mission frigates, Mirage 2000 jets, Rafale, AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) and support and supply assistance, the source said.
The strikes were aimed at a research centre and two production sites, the source said. The air strikes are over but the military is ready to act upon request, the source said.
Syria says 110 missiles fired in strikes
A Syrian military statement said the US, Britain and France fired 110 missiles during a joint attack on targets in Damascus and outside.
Brig. Gen. Ali Mayhoub, who read the statement on Syrian TV, said "our air defenses effectively shot down most of them." He says one of the missiles hit the Scientific Research Center in Barzeh near Damascus, damaging a building. In Homs, one of the missiles was derailed injuring three people, he said. Mayhoub says the attacks "will not deter" the Syrian military from its ongoing war to eradicate "armed terrorists" from Syrian territory.
Syria's Foreign Ministry earlier said the attack coincides with the arrival of a fact-finding mission from the international chemical weapons watchdog to inspect the site of the alleged attack in the town of Douma, and "aims to hinder its work."
The OPCW had said that its experts would be visiting Douma on Saturday.
A Syrian soldier at a check point in Damascus on Saturday. Image: Reuters
NATO chief 'supports' Syria strikes
The head of NATO expressed his support for Western strikes in Syria today after bombings targeting Bashar al-Assad's regime in retaliation for a suspected chemical attack. "I support the actions taken by the United States, the United Kingdom and France... This will reduce the regime's ability to further attack the people of Syria with chemical weapons," Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement. "NATO considers the use of chemical weapons as a threat to international peace and security, and believes that it is essential to protect the Chemical Weapons Convention," the statement added. "This calls for a collective and effective response by the international community."