Iran’s top diplomat in Syria, slams Israel, Turkish threats

By ALBERT AJI
Associated Press

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Iran’s foreign minister has condemned Israel’s latest airstrike on Syria and criticized threats from Turkey about another planned incursion by Ankara in northern Syria. The minister spoke on Saturday, at the start of his visit to Syria. Iran has been one of the Syrian government’s strongest backers, sending thousands of fighters from around the region to help Syrian troops in the country’s 11-year conflict. The Iranian foreign minister’s visit came hours after an Israeli airstrike on Syria and after Turkey’s president recently said he’s planning a major military operation to create a buffer zone inside Syria, along Turkey’s border.