As the US moves towards military intervention in the Syrian conflict, world leaders have issued a string of belicose statements, with Iran and Russia standing alongside the Assad regime against a western alliance led by the US, UK, France and Australia.
In their toughest terms to date, David Cameron and US secretary of state, John Kerry, spoke of the undeniable and "asbolutely abhorrent" and use of chemical weapons in Syria. In response, the Assad regime and Iran warned that foreign military intervention in Syria would result in a conflict that would engulf the region.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Abbas Araqchi, intimated that Tehran would respond, should the west strike.
"We want to strongly warn against any military attack in Syria. There will definitely be perilous consequences for the region," Araqchi told a news conference. "These complications and consequences will not be restricted to Syria. It will engulf the whole region."
Walid al-Moallem, Syria's foreign minister, also vowed that the regime would defend itself using all means available in the event of a US-led assault.
"I challenge those who accuse our forces of using these weapons to come forward with the evidence," he told reporters at a press conference in Damascus. "We have the means to defend ourselves, and we will surprise everyone."
Shia Iran is Syria's closest ally and has accused an alliance of militant Sunni Islamists, Israel and western powers of trying to use the conflict to take over the region. » | Paul Lewis in Washington, Martin Chulov in Beirut, Julian Borger, Nicholas Watt and agencies | Tuesday, August 27, 2013
