Syria: Attack on Iran Will Have Dire Consequences

PARIS — The President of Syria gave warning yesterday that an attack on Iran would have dire consequences for the America, Israel, and the world.

Speaking before he watched the Bastille Day military parade in Paris, President al-Assad said that the global reaction would be "uncontrollable."

"Israel will pay directly the price of this war. Iran has said so," he told French radio. "It will cost the United States and the planet dear. The problem is not the action and reaction. The problem is that when one starts such action in the Middle East, one cannot manage the reactions that can spread out over years or even decades," the Syrian leader, an ally of Iran, said.

He added that while there was general agreement that an attack on Iran made no sense given the likely repercussions, the current "warmonger" American administration defied logic.

"It does not reason with our logic and that of most ... countries in the world," Mr Assad said. His comments came amid rising tensions between Iran, Israel, and America over Tehran's nuclear program, which it claims is purely civilian.

Israel recently staged an air exercise widely seen as a rehearsal for an attack on Iran, while Iran test-fired ballistic missiles capable of striking Israel. The Syrian president was in Paris for an E.U.-Mediterranean summit hosted by President Sarkozy of France, which marked Syria's diplomatic comeback after years of isolation. Glowing talk of unity was dampened slightly after it emerged that Mr. Assad had snubbed Prime Minister Olmert, walking out before he made a speech on Sunday.