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Iran once again warns of consequences of possible attack on Syria

04 September 2013 03:39 (UTC +04:00)

Zarif made the remarks in a series of phone conversations with his Irish, Dutch, and Indonesian counterparts on Tuesday.

The Iranian foreign minister expressed hope that the international community would put the focus on finding a political solution to the situation in Syria.

Zarif said that resorting to force is a violation of international law and censured the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere in the world.

The consultations are part of Iran’s latest efforts to find a political solution to the crisis in Syria.

The call for military action against Syria intensified after foreign-backed opposition forces accused the government of President Bashar al-Assad of launching a chemical attack on militant strongholds in the suburbs of Damascus on August 21.

Damascus has vehemently denied the accusations, saying the chemical attack was carried out by the militants themselves as a false-flag operation.

On Saturday, US President Barack Obama said he has decided that Washington must take military action against the Syrian government, which would mean a unilateral military strike without a UN mandate.

Obama said that despite having made up his mind, he will take the case to US Congress. But he added that he is prepared to order military action against the Syrian government at any time.

Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.

According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have been killed and a total of 7.8 million of others displaced due to the violence.