TEHRAN - Hossein Jaberi Ansari, the Iranian foreign minister’s special assistant for political affairs, said on Tuesday that alleged chemical attack on the Eastern Ghouta suburb of Damascus should be dealt with legally.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev, Jaberi Ansari said that it is not acceptable to use the alleged chemical weapons attack as a tool for political objectives.

“Syria is undergoing new developments the latest of which is the U.S. and certain other countries’ threats to take (military) actions against the Syrian government by bringing up the issue of chemical attack,” stated Jaberi Ansari who leads Iran’s negotiating team in the Astana talks on Syria .

He said that certain countries are making efforts continue weakening security and stability in Syria through spreading fake news of chemical attack.

“Such games have always been played when the terrorist face defeats. We will not accept a game which cause obstacles to the procedure of restoring stability and security to Syria,” the top diplomat added.

Elsewhere, he noted, “Position of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as a victim of the chemical weapons, has always been transparent and clear. Iran will never accept use of the chemical weapons.”

The Syrian government issued a statement late on Saturday strongly rejecting allegation that it has used chemical weapons.

U.S. President Trump said on Monday that the United States would take swift action in retaliation for claims of chemical weapons attack in Ghouta.

The Trump administration claimed that Syria and its Russian and Iranian partners bear direct responsibility for the suspected attack.

On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif slammed Trump’s “cheap shot” against Iran with regard to suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria, saying Iran itself has been victim to Saddam Hussein’s chemical attacks in the 1980s.

“Trump's cheap shot against Iran, which has consistently condemned use of chemical weapons by anyone & is itself the victim of their use by Saddam with U.S. support, is hypocritical. 

Zarif also said Trump is seeking to help extremists by threatening to attack the Syrian government. 

“His threats to repeat impulsive acts of aggression is symptomatic of U.S. policy helping extremists,” Zarif remarked.

Russia has urged the U.S. to avoid taking military action in response to the alleged chemical attack in Syria.

"I would once again beseech you to refrain from the plans that you're currently developing," Moscow's UN envoy Vasily Nebenzia said on Tuesday.

Nebenzia warned Washington that it will "bear responsibility" for any "illegal military adventure" it carries out.

NA/PA