TEHRAN – In an announcement on Wednesday, Iran’s parliament (Majlis) defended the recent missile attack at Islamic State in Syria, condemning the U.S. and its allies for causing insecurity in the region.

“We announce our support for the missile strike at the planning and plotting base of Daesh terrorists by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in retaliation for the group’s blind terrorist operation,” 162 parliamentarians said in an announcement brought to the floor.

Meanwhile the lawmakers underscored the importance of “global peace” and showed antipathy toward the “destabilizing moves” of the U.S. and its cronies in the Middle East region.

The belated avowal follows the firing of six missiles into Islamic State’s strongholds in eastern Syria on June 18 by IRGC, which left dozens killed.

IRGC vowed swift avenge after ISIS suicide bombers and gunmen stormed the parliament and the mausoleum of Imam Khomeini on June 7, killing 18 and injuring at least 56.  

It was the first foreign intervention of Iran since the 1980s war with Iraq, taken by political analysts to signal a message to the U.S. and Saudi Arabia which seek to topple President Bashar al-Assad.

Reacting to the missile strike, President Hassan Rouhani said it was “essential”, “right” and “proper”.

The announcement further called on all authorities to back “the revolutionary offspring of the nation”, a reference to IRGC members.

Last week, the parliament announced its decision to propose a supportive legislation to increase IRGC’s military budget by nearly $540 million in a response to what parliamentarian Kazem Jalali called “America’s aggressive behavior in the region and its hostile policies against Iran.”

PA/PA