Iran condemns Israeli strikes on Syria; 'Attacks meant to destabilize region', says Khamenei

July 16, 2025 by News Desk

Iran has strongly condemned Israel’s recent airstrikes on Syria’s capital, Damascus, and the southern Suwayda region, calling them a blatant violation of international law and Syrian sovereignty.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry, in an official statement on Tuesday, said that “armed groups resumed attacks with support from the Israeli air force,” and accused Tel Aviv of deliberately undermining a fragile ceasefire that had been announced a day earlier.

The ministry denounced the strikes as “illegal interventions” by the “Zionist regime” and urged the international community and Islamic nations to act swiftly to prevent further aggression.

In a parallel message delivered hours after the attack, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a stern warning, suggesting that Israel’s actions in Syria were part of a broader campaign to destabilize the region.

He said, “The calculation and plan of the aggressors was to weaken the system by targeting certain figures and sensitive centers… It was meant to stir unrest and bring people into the streets to overthrow the system.”

Khamenei added that Iran is fully prepared to respond to “any renewed military attack” and warned of severe consequences for those provoking regional instability.

“The Zionist regime and its masters should know that the response to any future assault will be even bigger than what they have already witnessed,” he said, referencing the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel earlier this year.

Tehran’s sharp reaction follows Israel’s direct airstrikes on Syria’s Defense Ministry and military command centers in central Damascus on July 16, marking one of the most significant escalations in the region in recent years.