Syria Military Source Denies Iran Bombed AlTanf Base
A Syrian military source denied to AFP on Friday that Iran had bombed the al-Tanf base near Syria's southeastern borders with Jordan and Iraq, after Tehran's Revolutionary Guards said they targeted the facility in response to US strikes.
"We deny any Iranian bombardment targeting the al-Tanf area," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
US forces said they withdrew from the base earlier this year after troops were stationed there as part of a US-led anti-ISIS coalition.
Earlier on Friday, Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed they had attacked a US special operations command center at al-Tanf in retaliation for the killing of Iranian soldiers in Iranshahr, state media reported.
Reuters could not independently verify the claim.
The US military said in February it completed a withdrawal from the al-Tanf base positioned at the tri-border confluence of Syria, Jordan and Iraq.
Syria has sought to avoid being drawn into the regional conflict that has engulfed neighboring countries, including Lebanon, where Hezbollah has fought Israeli forces, and Iraq, where Iran-backed armed groups have launched drone and rocket attacks.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said in March that his country would stay out of any conflict unless it came under attack.
"Unless Syria is targeted by any party, Syria will remain outside any conflict," Sharaa said at an event hosted by the Chatham House think tank in London.
The Guards also said Iran retained full control of the Strait of Hormuz and that no oil or gas would be exported through the waterway for as long as US attacks continued, according to the state media report.
aawsat.com