Statement of the Central Committee of the Tudeh Party of Iran: Tudeh Party of Iran condemns missile attack on Syria
On the morning of Friday 7 April 2017 – the day before which the meeting of the UN Security Council had ended without a vote on the proposed draft resolutions before it, to examine the details surrounding the use of chemical weapons in the conflict between the Syrian army and armed terrorists in the town of Khan Sheykhun – the United States began a military attack on Syria. The Tudeh Party of Iran believes that the aggressive military attack by the US on Syria, under the pretext of responding to the suspicious yet indefensible chemical attack in Idlib – was contrary to all frameworks of international law.
This aggressive attack will not only will fail to extinguish the flames of the disastrous war that the Syrian people are caught in, but could lead to the expansion and spread of the tensions and military confrontations between Western governments with Russia and its allies in Syria and the region. All progressive and humanitarian forces in the world, in condemning this blatant military aggression of the United States are rightly concerned that it further inflames a war the consequences of which already include the destruction of Syria and its territorial integrity as well as a disaster of monstrous proportions inflicted upon its people.
There are signs that before committing this provocative military aggression the US had undertaken certain specific coordination with governments in the region (Middle East) in respect of its plans. Theresa May, the Prime Minister of Britain, who over recent months has been coordinating her governments foreign policy with Washington, has fully and explicitly supported the Trump government’s action to wage military attack against Syria. Theresa May had also toured the Persian Gulf countries over the few days [prior to the US military action] and had consulted the leaders of these countries about the developments in the region. King Abdullah of Jordan was also the official guest of Donald Trump in recent days and undoubtedly had been made aware of his host’s intentions. Turkey and Saudi Arabia have stated their full and open support for the US military action against Syria.
In a report earlier today, AFP [France’s Press Agency] quoted Ahmad Ramadan, a spokesman for the “Coalition of the Syrian Opposition”, as having stated: “The Syrian coalition welcomes the air attack and calls on Washington to undermine the power and capabilities of Bashar al-Assad through further air strikes.”
Some political figures in America have suggested that the missile attack ordered by the Trump government actually signals a new stage in US foreign policy with regard to Syria and is the start of fresh efforts by the US aimed at “regime change” in the country. The Government of the Russian Federation has condemned the provocative US military attack on Syria and considers it an attack against an independent state and member of the United Nations, and has called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council to address this violation. In this regard, the Russian government has announced that it will be terminating the voluntary arrangement with the United States concerning the coordination of military and civilian aircrafts flying in Syrian airspace that has been in effect in recent years. Russia has also announced that it will increase its future cooperation with the Syrian government regarding the bolstering of the country’s air defence systems.
The Tudeh Party of Iran considers the military attack by the US on the Syrian air base [Shayrat] to be highly irresponsible, warmongering and contrary to the requirements of world peace, and condemns it accordingly. America’s missile attack on Syria, a sovereign state, is a clear violation of Article 2(4) of the Charter of the United Nations. This action has in effect given a green light to the jihadi terrorists to continue their bloodshed and criminal policies.
The Tudeh Party of Iran, in line with its past positions, declares that the conflict in Syria has no military solution. The weight of public opinion and forces for world peace could and should be harnessed through an all embracing campaign that compels all the forces involved in the disastrous Syrian war – a war that has so far resulted in the death of more than half-a-million civilian victims, including children and women, and resulted in the total destruction of the country – to participate in a serious and responsible fashion in peace negotiations, to be conducted under the auspices of the United Nations.
The Central Committee of the Tudeh Party of Iran
7 April 2017
