Iran’s Supreme Leader justifies not defending Syria

He criticized the belief that Assad’s regime fell because Iran didn’t send in their army.

Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei defended Iran’s decision not to defend Syria as rebels overthrew the Assad regime.

He criticized the belief that Assad’s regime fell because Iran didn’t send in their army.

The Ayatollah wrote: “It is neither logical nor acceptable to public opinion for the Iranian army to fight on behalf of the Syrian army. The responsibility for defending Syria rests with its own forces. What our military provided was advisory support.”

He continued, “A nation’s army must bear the brunt of the fighting. Voluntary forces like the Basiji can only fight alongside that country’s army. If the local army is weak, the Basiji cannot compensate for it. Unfortunately, this was the situation in Syria.”

He also criticized Israel for its operations in Syria and wrote in Hebrew, “The youth of Syria will be the ones to liberate the territories occupied by the Zionist entity.”

Switching to English, he attacked the West for approving of Israel’s actions.

He wrote: “The Zionist regime has bombed more than 300 locations in Syria and occupied Syrian territories.”

“Meanwhile, the US and Europe, quick to react to similar actions in other countries—even over matters as small as one or ten meters—are not only staying silent on this issue but actively supporting it.”

The IDF said that military actions, including the elimination of 85% of Syrian anti-aircraft missiles, may provide an opportunity to target Iran’s nuclear program.

Sources in the Israeli Air Force said they were preparing for action against Iran’s nuclear sites and were enlisting the aid of the US.

The IDF announced that it has struck 320 targets and destroyed at least 80% of Syria’s military capabilities to prevent them from falling into the hands of terrorist groups.

Among the targets were advanced military systems such as tanks, fighter jets, helicopters, air defense systems, missile-equipped ships, rockets, arms manufacturing facilities, munitions storage sites, Scud missiles, cruise missiles, coastal defense missiles, drones, and various other weaponry.