US reassures Iran over Damascus attack

: Crude oil
24/04/03

Washington has given Tehran assurances that the US was not involved in the suspected Israeli missile attack on an Iranian diplomatic facility in Damascus, Syria.

"We made very clear to the Iranians that we had no involvement in this strike and we didn't know about it ahead of time," the State Department said today. The US has also warned Iran against using the attack as a pretext for retaliating against Middle East-based US personnel and bases.

The suspected Israeli attack killed senior commanders of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Tehran has vowed to retaliate, without providing details. Ice Brent crude futures rose immediately after the attack on 1 April on fears of a possible regional escalation.

The EU has taken a stronger line in condemning the attack. "In this highly tense regional situation, it is imperative to show utmost restraint," the EU said today. "Further escalation in the region is in no one's interest."

The US military and Iran-backed proxies in Syria and Iraq exchanged fire in the months after the Gaza conflict broke out in October. But the tempo of such attacks has decreased since February, and US and Iranian diplomats recently held informal talks to de-escalate tensions.

The messages conveyed to Iran over the Damascus attack shows that "we have the ability to [convey] very clear messages to Iran both directly and indirectly, and we do so when it's in our interest," the State Department said.

By Haik Gugarats

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24/11/04

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