TEHRAN – The Iranian army has condemned a recent attack on Syria by a coalition of the U.S., UK, and France, stressing it was a sign that the Western trio is backing terrorists.

In the statement issued on Sunday, the Army underlined that the attack was planned and executed on the false accusation that the Syrian government had previously used chemical weapons against its nation.

“Over the past years it has been the norm for America and a few Western countries to enter the stage to make up for the defeats suffered by terrorists,” the statement said.

“The evil trio of America, England, and France will succeed in nothing,” the Army stressed, adding the recent attack was a desperate move in the wake of the victories of the resistance front.

The Iranian army further stressed that regional countries should establish a constructive synergy to ward off the ill-intended schemes of outside powers.

In a similar statement the night before, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps also condemned the recent Western attack on Syria.

The IRGC said that the attack will only boost the Syrian nation’s resolve in fight against terrorism.

The joint strikes were a "flagrant and undeniable crime" by the three countries and proved "their disgraceful failure in supporting Takfiri terrorists" and saving them, it added, according to Press TV.

The IRGC said the seven-year experience of war in Syria and full resistance of the country's army, government and people against "an all-out proxy war [waged] by the [global] arrogance and Zionism and Takfiri terrorists" showed that the resilient Syrian nation, backed by strategic allies of Damascus, would not stop moving in this path until achieving a full victory.”

The criminals, aggressors and their regional supporters would achieve nothing, it pointed out.

In the early hours of Saturday, the three Western states launched a barrage of missile attacks against Syria in response to what they claim to be a chemical attack in Douma. Syria has rejected any role in the suspected gas attack.

Syrian air defenses, however, responded firmly, shooting down most of the missiles fired at the country.

The Russian military said on Saturday that the three countries had fired 103 cruise missiles, including Tomahawk missiles, at Syria but that Syrian air defense systems managed to intercept 71 of them.

‘Illegal strike’

The chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces also talked over the telephone with Syrian Defense Minister Ali Abdullah Ayyoub on Saturday evening, condemning the attack on Syria.

The aggressors would not make any gains from the “illegal and barbaric” strike, Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri told the Syrian minister.

The offensive will strengthen unity between the Syrian government and nation against enemies, Tasnim quoted Baqeri as saying.

The Iranian general also called the trilateral missile attack a result of the “definite defeat of terrorists” and the outstanding victories by the Syrian Army.

“The nation and the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to fight alongside the Syrian people and the Syrian Armed Forces against the criminal terrorists,” Major Baqeri added.

Also on Saturday evening, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami said that the missile attack on Syria was another clear example of the U.S. criminal approach against the oppressed nations in the region.

In a telephone conversation with his Syrian counterpart Ayyoub, the Iranian defense minister said the criminal act by Washington, Paris and London was a breach of international law and human principles.

He added that the global arrogance led by the U.S. has for many years interfered in the internal affairs of Muslim countries.

Supporters of terrorists, including some Western and regional countries, carry out such criminal acts any time they see their plots failed, Hatami noted.

The countries that launched the attack should know that their missiles could never dent the resolve of the Syrian government and the resistance movement to "protect the country's people and restore stability and security to Syria."

The Iranian defense minister once again reiterated the Islamic Republic's support for the Syrian government in the fight against terrorists.

The Syrian defense minister, for his part, said close relations between Tehran and Damascus show solidarity between the two nations in the battle against terrorists and their sponsors.

Ayyoub emphasized that such criminal acts would have no impact on Syria’s resolve to fight terrorists until their complete elimination.

SP/PA