Iran's Rouhani calls Assad to stress backing for Syrian state

President Hassan Rouhani stressed Iran's support for the Syrian state in "its war against terrorism" during a call with his counterpart Bashar al-Assad on Sunday, condemning a US missile strike on Syria as a violation of its sovereignty. Syrian state news agency said Assad told Rouhani the Syrian people and army were "determined to crush terrorism in every part of Syrian territory" and thanked him for Iran's support for "the Syrian nation".

The US launched a cruise missile attack on Friday against a Syrian airbase in response to a chemical weapons attack which killed 87 people including 31 children and which Washington says was carried out by the Syrian government.