Tehran, IRNA - Iran's deputy minister for legal and international affairs has strongly condemned the Israeli regime’s escalating aggression in Syria since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad over the weekend.

Addressing a meeting of the Group of Friends of Neutrality for Peace, Security, and Sustainable Development in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Kazem Gharibabadi said the Israeli assaults on Syria are further evidence of its expansionist and aggressive nature and total disregard for international norms and regulations.

He called on the international community, especially the UN Security Council, to hold the Israeli regime accountable for its acts of aggression in Syria.

The Israeli regime has ramped up its attacks on Syria since Sunday when militants took control of Damascus and forced the Assad government from power. Israeli warplanes have carried out hundreds of airstrikes to knock out the Arab country’s military infrastructure, while Israeli forces have pushed beyond a so-called buffer zone on the border and moved deeper into Syrian territory.

Gharibabadi also condemned the Israeli aggression against Palestine and Lebanon, and criticized the inaction of international bodies, particularly the UN Security Council, in stopping these violations.

He reiterated that respecting Syria’s unity, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity was a principled policy of Iran, stressing that the future of Syria should only be determined by the Syrian people.

The Group of Friends of Neutrality for Peace, Security, and Sustainable Development was established at the initiative of Turkmenistan in the United Nations, and so far, 25 countries have joined the group.

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