TEHRAN, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Saturday strongly condemned the U.S.-led strike on Syria's military facilities joined by Britain and France.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denounced the airstrikes on Syria as a "crime."
"I overtly declare that the presidents of the United States and France and the prime minister of Britain have committed crimes (in Syria) and are criminals," Khamenei said in a meeting with Iranian officials and the ambassadors of Islamic countries on his official website.
"They (the U.S. and its allies) will not gain from their raid on Syria, as they did not benefit from their crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria over the past years," he added.
"Those (the U.S.-led coalition in the region) who were overtly and covertly supporting Daesh (the Islamic State) claim that they have confronted and defeated them. That's a lie. That is not the case. They had no role," Khamenei said.
The United States created the "evil creatures" called Daesh, using the money of Saudi Arabia and others, he said.
However, the resistance against Washington and its agents saved Iraq and Syria, he added.
Khamenei emphasized that "the United States will not achieve anything (in the region) in the future no matter how much money it spends."
Also, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned Saturday that the U.S.-led attack on Syria will result in "further destruction" of the region.
The U.S., Israel, France and Britain have not learned their lessons from the situation in the region over the past two decades, Rouhani was quoted by official IRNA news agency as saying in a meeting with Khamenei.
"They are angry with (the defeat of) the terrorist groups in Syria's Eastern Ghouta," he said, referring to the recent victory by Syrian troops to drive out rebel forces from the suburban area in east of Syrian capital Damascus.
"The aggression led by the United States will lead to further destruction and annihilation of the region," Rouhani said, adding that "they seek to justify their presence in the region by such invasion."
Rouhani urged the Syrian people for more resistance to the United States, while reaffirming Iran's support for the Syrian government.
In the meantime, in a telephone conversation with the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Rouhani said that such attacks run counter to the principles of international law and are considered a blatant support for terrorism, according to Press TV.
"At a time that terrorists are suffering a defeat in Syria on a daily basis, such aggressive act certainly means support for these defeated groups," Rouhani was quoted as saying.
The three countries' act of aggression against the Syrian government and nation was a practical move to strengthen terrorism in the region, he said, adding that undermining a country's national sovereignty was tantamount to creating regional instability.
"As we have repeatedly emphasized, the presence of any foreign forces in Syria without its government's permission is against international regulations and is a violation of Syria's territory," Rouhani said.
No foreign power can make decisions about the future of Syria, he pointed out. "The country's people are the main decision-makers."
He stressed that "Iran will continue its activity in all international circles, particularly in cooperation with Russia and Turkey, to help achieve peace and stability in the region and in Syria."
For his part, Assad said the missile attacks would have no impact on the Syrian government and people, adding that they would continue their fight against terrorists.
The Syrian president noted that London, Paris and Washington carried out the airstrikes after they failed to achieve their goals through political means and emphasized that the strikes brought them no military achievements.
Besides, Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the attack on Saturday in a statement.
The U.S. and its allies have invaded Syria "without any proof" of the use of chemical weapons and "they are responsible for their adventurism," the statement said.
The strikes on Syria have been carried out to boost the morale of the terrorist groups following their defeat by the Syrian army, it said.
"However, the Syrian people will annul the plots to change the situation in favor of the terrorist groups," it added.
Earlier Saturday morning, the United States, in cooperation with Britain and France, attacked Syrian military facilities reportedly related to Syria's chemical weapons capabilities.
The move was to retaliate for the alleged use of chemical weapons by Syrian troops early the month in an attack on the rebel-held town of Douma near the Syrian capital Damascus.
The Syrian government has strongly denied the allegations.
