No evidence Syrian gas attack was fabricated: White House
Russia increasingly isolated over Syria, says Sean Spicer
WASHINGTON/ TEHRAN:
Senior White House officials accused Russia on Tuesday of trying to deflect blame from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for a deadly poison gas attack on civilians last week that the United States has laid firmly at the feet of the Syrian government.
The officials, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said Assad's government carried out the April 4 chemical weapons attack in Khan Sheikhoun as part of an effort to put pressure on Syrian rebels who were making advances in the area.
The officials said Russia has frequently spun out multiple, conflicting accounts in order to create confusion and sow doubt within the international community.
"Russia's allegations fit with a pattern of deflecting blame from the (Syrian) regime and attempting to undermine the credibility of its opponents," one of the White House officials said.
Trump administration open to more strikes on Syria: White House
Separately, President Donald Trump's spokesman on Tuesday increased pressure on Russia over a chemical weapons attack in Syria last week, calling Moscow isolated and saying it was trying to shift blame away from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
"Russia is on an island when it comes to its support of Syria," White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters.
"In this particular case, it's no question that Russia is isolated. They have aligned themselves with North Korea, Syria, Iran. That's not exactly a group of countries you're looking to hang out with. With the exception of Russia, they are all failed states," Spicer said.
G7 agrees no Syria solution with Assad in power: Ayrault
The attack led the Trump administration to harden its attitude against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad weeks after top U.S. officials said they were more concerned with defeating Islamic State militants than getting Assad out of power.
"I don't see a peaceful, stable Syria in the future that has Assad in charge," Spicer said. "I don't see a future Syria that has (Assad) as the leader of that government."
Meanwhile, Iran's Defence Minister Hossein Dehgan warned on Tuesday that any new US action in Syria ‘will not go unanswered’, after America threatened to follow up a strike last week with more attacks.
Despite tough talk, Turkey caught between US and Russia in Syria
"The Americans will have to pay a heavy price if they repeat their action and they must know that their actions will not go unanswered," Dehgan said during a telephone conversation with Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu.
Dehgan accused American leaders of lying by saying they wanted to ‘fight terrorists’.
"Instead of bombing, the Syrian army and the Syrian people are being bombed," Dehgan said, quoted in a statement on the website of his ministry.
Hundreds in Syria capital protest US strike
"The resistance front will continue to fight resolutely against terrorists despite the willingness of the Americans," he added, referring to an anti-Western alliance that includes Iran, Syria and Lebanon's Hezbollah.
The statement quoted Shoigu as saying that ‘Russia is determined to use its political and military capabilities to bring decisive blows to terrorists’.
Dehgan also spoke with his Syrian counterpart Fahd Jassem al Freij, the defence ministry said.
Syria regime allies threaten to act over 'aggression'
The two agreed to "strengthen their cooperation to step up operations against terrorists", it said.
They also called for a commission to reveal ‘the truth about the Americans' false claims’ regarding last week's suspected chemical attack on Khan Sheikhun.
"This kind of action (by the US) will have no effect on the determination of the resistance front to fight terrorists," they added.
Senior White House officials accused Russia on Tuesday of trying to deflect blame from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for a deadly poison gas attack on civilians last week that the United States has laid firmly at the feet of the Syrian government.
The officials, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said Assad's government carried out the April 4 chemical weapons attack in Khan Sheikhoun as part of an effort to put pressure on Syrian rebels who were making advances in the area.
The officials said Russia has frequently spun out multiple, conflicting accounts in order to create confusion and sow doubt within the international community.
"Russia's allegations fit with a pattern of deflecting blame from the (Syrian) regime and attempting to undermine the credibility of its opponents," one of the White House officials said.
Trump administration open to more strikes on Syria: White House
Separately, President Donald Trump's spokesman on Tuesday increased pressure on Russia over a chemical weapons attack in Syria last week, calling Moscow isolated and saying it was trying to shift blame away from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
"Russia is on an island when it comes to its support of Syria," White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters.
"In this particular case, it's no question that Russia is isolated. They have aligned themselves with North Korea, Syria, Iran. That's not exactly a group of countries you're looking to hang out with. With the exception of Russia, they are all failed states," Spicer said.
G7 agrees no Syria solution with Assad in power: Ayrault
The attack led the Trump administration to harden its attitude against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad weeks after top U.S. officials said they were more concerned with defeating Islamic State militants than getting Assad out of power.
"I don't see a peaceful, stable Syria in the future that has Assad in charge," Spicer said. "I don't see a future Syria that has (Assad) as the leader of that government."
Meanwhile, Iran's Defence Minister Hossein Dehgan warned on Tuesday that any new US action in Syria ‘will not go unanswered’, after America threatened to follow up a strike last week with more attacks.
Despite tough talk, Turkey caught between US and Russia in Syria
"The Americans will have to pay a heavy price if they repeat their action and they must know that their actions will not go unanswered," Dehgan said during a telephone conversation with Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu.
Dehgan accused American leaders of lying by saying they wanted to ‘fight terrorists’.
"Instead of bombing, the Syrian army and the Syrian people are being bombed," Dehgan said, quoted in a statement on the website of his ministry.
Hundreds in Syria capital protest US strike
"The resistance front will continue to fight resolutely against terrorists despite the willingness of the Americans," he added, referring to an anti-Western alliance that includes Iran, Syria and Lebanon's Hezbollah.
The statement quoted Shoigu as saying that ‘Russia is determined to use its political and military capabilities to bring decisive blows to terrorists’.
Dehgan also spoke with his Syrian counterpart Fahd Jassem al Freij, the defence ministry said.
Syria regime allies threaten to act over 'aggression'
The two agreed to "strengthen their cooperation to step up operations against terrorists", it said.
They also called for a commission to reveal ‘the truth about the Americans' false claims’ regarding last week's suspected chemical attack on Khan Sheikhun.
"This kind of action (by the US) will have no effect on the determination of the resistance front to fight terrorists," they added.