Tehran: Iran will not defend neighbouring Syria militarily against the United
States, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said on April 16.
"We support Syria which is on the frontline against the Zionist regime and defends
the Palestinian cause, but that does not mean we are going to enter a military phase
to defend Syria against an eventual attack," Khatami said after his weekly Cabinet
meeting.
"I hope the US threats against Syria are bluffs...I don't think the United States
has the capacity to attack Syria since the world situation does not allow a
repetition of what happened in Iraq," Khatami said while calling on Washington to
stop its "threats" against Damascus.
A close ally since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Syria was the only Arab country that
supported Iran in its war against Iraq from 1980-1988.
Khatami also called on US forces to leave Iraqi territory to preserve their
interests.
"If the Iraqi regime had been toppled by the Iraqi people themselves, we would have
organised a big feast in Iran, but occupation of Iraq (by US-led coalition forces)
is a violation of international regulations," he said.
Asked about relations between Tehran and Washington, which severed ties after the
1979 revolution and the bitter Embassy hostage crisis, Khatami said, "If we feel US
behaviour toward us has changed, a new situation maybe be created that would permit
us to adopt new ways."
