Iran says nobody to benefit from strike on Syria

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TEHRAN, Sept. 4 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that a U.S. strike on Syria will be "in nobody's interest" and nobody will benefit from it.

"As the Islamic republic has already said, any (military) measure against Syria is in the disadvantage of both the region and the United States' friends," Rouhani was quoted by semi- official Mehr news agency as saying.

U.S. President Barack Obama has sought congressional approval for launching a limited military strike against Syria to punish it for the alleged use of chemical weapons in the suburbs of Damascus on Aug. 21.

Syria's security and stability is of great importance for Iran, and if the Syrians are faced with any problem, the Islamic republic will provide them with humanitarian assistance, the Iranian president said at a meeting of Iran's Assembly of Experts.

The assembly comprises 86 Mujtahids (Islamic scholars) and is responsible for electing and removing the country's supreme leader and supervising his activities.

"We believe that the main problem Syria is faced with is foreign intervention," Rouhani said, stressing that "the vote of the people and their demands" should be considered in mulling any actions on Syria.

Any potential move to strike Syria was denounced in a statement issued at the end of the meeting.

On Wednesday, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan said Syria's army and nation are fully prepared to defend themselves against any possible threats, semi-official Fars news agency reported.

The Syrian nation and government are prepared to confront any attack and "have the needed tools and means to defend themselves," Fars quoted Dehqan as saying.

Meanwhile, the Iranian defense minister also emphasized that any U.S. military presence in Syria would lead to future instability in the region, according to Press TV.

"A U.S. strike on Syria would have grave consequences in the region" and in the West, he said, adding that the strike could also spread the crisis throughout the region and intensify it.

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