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Syria accused the U.S. military air strikes of Iran-backed militias in eastern Syria as a negative signal related to the policy of the new administration in Biden.
According to Reuters and AFP, the Syrian Foreign Ministry issued a statement through the state-run SANA news agency on the same day and warned that “we strongly condemn the cowardly attacks of the United States that violate international law.”
The air strike is the first military action against Iranian-related armed groups since the inauguration of President Joe Biden.
US Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement the day before that “there was an air raid on the infrastructure in use by an Iranian-backed armed group in eastern Syria.” “President Biden will act to protect the United States and allied forces,” he warned.
The Syrian Human Rights Observatory believes that at least 22 people were killed in the air raid.
Russia, which supports the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, also strongly condemned the US air strike.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maria Zakarova said, “I strongly condemn such actions. “I urge you to unconditionally respect Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters “I know the United States has no plans to withdraw from Syria,” and “I want to know the US plan for Syria.”
“There is contact between the US-Russian military (in Syria), but the political teams of the two countries must meet,” said Ravrov. “It is very important for Russia to understand the US strategy for this region.”
It is known that the United States notified the Russian army only four to five minutes before the air raid. Minister Labrov also expressed dissatisfaction with this.
Russia served as a key alliance of the Bashar al-Assad regime during the Syrian conflict in 2011, and also provided military support during the Syrian Civil War in 2015, helping the al-Assad regime turn the tide.
On the other hand, this air raid is notable as the Biden administration waged a tense nervous war with Iran while weighing the timing of the return of the Iranian nuclear agreement (JCPOA, Comprehensive Joint Action Plan), where former President Donald Trump withdrew. Reuters reported that this incident raised regional tensions and raised concerns about total conflict.
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