Mixed Reacting From World Leaders on US strike in Syria :Saudi Arabia, Iran, etc

Middle East Regional and world leaders are quick to react to the news after US fires missiles at Syria air base.

The United States had fired nearly 60 Tomahawk missiles at a military airfield in Syria, the first direct military action Washington has taken against Syrian government forces in the six-year-old conflict.
Survivors speak of Syria chemical attack, two years on

Washington said the strikes on Friday severely damaged or destroyed Syrian aircraft and support infrastructure and equipment at the airfield.

President Donald Trump ordered the strikes against Shayrat air base in Homs province, saying it is believed that a suspected gas attack on a town in Idlib province had been launched from there. Trump said he acted in America's "vital national security interest".

World leaders and countries across the world were quick to react to the news.

Russia, which has been bombing rebel-held areas in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad since September 2015, condemned the strikes, saying Washington's action would "inflict major damage on US-Russia ties", according to Russian news agencies.

Iran, also an Assad ally, said it strongly condemned the missile strikes against the Syrian army's Shayrat air base.

"Iran strongly condemns any such unilateral strikes ... such measures will strengthen terrorists in Syria ... and it will complicate the situation in Syria and the region," ISNA news agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman  Bahram Qasemi as saying.

Turkey, which hosts three million Syrian refugees, said it views the US missile strikes positively and called for the establishment of a no-fly zone and safe zones in Syria.

"What happened in Idlib on Tuesday proved again that the bloody Assad regime show complete disregard for the prospect of a political transition and efforts to enforce the ceasefire," read a statement by presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin.

"The destruction of Sharyat airbase marks an important step to ensure that chemical and conventional attacks against the civilian population do not go unpunished."


Britain said the US action was an appropriate response to the "barbaric chemical weapons attack" launched by the Syrian government, according to a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he supports the "strong and clear message" sent by the US strikes.

The Israeli military said it had been informed in advance of the attack.

"In both word and action, President (Donald) Trump sent a strong and clear message today that the use and spread of chemical weapons will not be tolerated," a statement from Netanyahu's office said.

"Israel fully supports President Trump's decision and hopes that this message of resolve in the face of the Assad regime's horrific actions will resonate not only in Damascus, but in Tehran, Pyongyang and elsewhere."