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Conflict in Syria

Russian, Iranian top diplomats call for thorough investigation into Idlib incident

The Russian and Iranian top diplomats have discussed situation in Syria after US missile strike

A Syrian woman rests in a hospital in Reyhanli, Turkey AP Photo

A Syrian woman rests in a hospital in Reyhanli, Turkey

MOSCOW, April 10. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif called in a phone conversation to carry out an impartial investigation into the suspected use of chemical weapons in Syria’s Idlib province, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

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"Lavrov and Zarif called for carrying out a thorough and unbiased investigation into the incident in the Syrian province of Idlib that has led to numerous deaths among the civilian population," the ministry said.

The sides discussed the situation in Syria after the US missile strike. "(They) discussed the situation in Syria after the US launched a missile strike on the airbase in that country," the ministry said. "Both sides emphasized that such aggressive actions against a sovereign independent country are a flagrant violation of international law, above all, the UN Charter, create threats for regional security and impair the fight against international terrorism."

The two ministers agreed to maintain close contacts "with a view to further coordinating cooperation on the pressing bilateral and international issues."

The US military fired 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a military airfield in Syria’s Homs province overnight to Friday on orders issued by US President Donald Trump. The strike came in response to what Washington claims was Damascus’ use of chemical weapons in the Idlib province. The Pentagon said the alleged chemical attack was launched from this airfield. However, according the Russian Defense Ministry, on April 4, the Syrian air force delivered an airstrike on the eastern outskirts of Khan Sheikhoun to destroy militant facilities used to produce chemical bombs. These bombs were sent to Iraq and were also used in Aleppo. Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow considers the US strike against an airbase in the Homs province an act of aggression against a sovereign nation.

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Zakharova: US strike on Syria unrelated to attempts to learn truth about chemical weapons

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Foreign policy Syrian conflict

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