Following commentsmade by an aide to Ayatollah Khamenei that Iran would respond to attack on Syria, relations with Turkey deteriorate. Relations between Tehran and Ankara appeared to grow even more strained on Sunday, when a high-ranking Iranian official said it would consider any attack on Syria as an attack on itself. Ali Akbar Velayati, an aide ...

NATO, at the behest of Western countries, deployed Patriot missiles along Turkey's border with Syria in order to protect Israel in the event Iran retaliates to any preemptive strike on its nuclear facilities, Turkish dailyToday's Zaman, citing an interview with Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast, reported Sunday. In the interview ...

An Iranian foreign ministry spokesman has slammed the Turkish government for allowing NATO to deploy Patriot missiles along the country's border with Syria, but in the meantime said that Turkey has assured them that it will not participate in any military action against Iran. In an interview with al-Manar TV on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Ministry ...

TEHRAN, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- An Iranian lawmaker said that Turkey has turned into a performer of the West's policies on Syria, Press TV reported on Saturday. Hossein Sobhani-Nia, a member of the Iranian Majlis (parliament) Presiding Board, said Friday that the Turkish government is implementing macro policies drawn up by the Western countries on the ...

Iran was outraged by NATOs decision to deploy six Patriot batteries at Turkeys request two each from the US, Germany and the Netherlands in Turkey. On Dec. 15, Iranian Chief of Staff General Hassan Firouzabadi said, Each one of these Patriots is a black mark on the world map, and is meant to cause a world war. They are making plans for a world war ...

Since 2002, Turkeys leaders have basked in the glow of their rising profile in theMiddle Eastand Europe. During the past decadeTurkeyhas transformed into the worlds 16th largest economy, tripling per capita income. Turkeys pro-Palestinian stand and support for democratic movements in the Arab world have earned Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan plaudits ...

Tehran claims NATO-backed anti-missile system not being used to shield Turkey from Syrian civil war NATO-backed Patriot missile batteries stationed on Turkeys border with Syria are actually meant to protect Israel from Iran, Tehrans Foreign Ministry said Saturday. The six long-range missile-defense batteries, which Ankara requested after Turkey ...

Turkish foreign minister accuses Iranian officials of launching a misinformation campaign on Turkish public over deployment of Patriots on Turkish soil. Ankara warned Tehran over the issue, Davuto?lu also says Iranian officials might have aimed to launch a campaign of misinformation among the Turkish public by abusing the issue of Patriot deployment ...

MOSCOW, December 24 (RIA Novosti) - The deployment of NATOs advanced surface-to-air Patriot missiles is intended to counter threats not only from Syria, but from Iran as well, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday. Earlier this month NATO approved the deployment of Patriot air defense systems in Turkey as a way to prevent potential ...

An Iranian lawmaker says the deployment of surface-to-air Patriot missiles on the Turkey-Syria border could fuel arms race in the region. Vahid Ahmadi, a member of the Majlis Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy, said on Saturday that the presence of foreign forces in Muslim countries has always caused problems among Muslim states. The ...

Defense Minister Vahidi denies Tehran training Assad forces to fight rebels; claims Patriot anti-missile batteries sent by NATO 'harm Turkey's security' Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi denied that his country is training Syrian forces to battle therebels, the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported Saturday. "Syria has no need for the ...

The deployment of NATO Patriot anti-missile systems near Turkey's border with Syria could be targeted at Iran, the Russian foreign minister has said. The configuration as is being presented in the media really looks like it could be used against Iran, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Russian television network RT, a portion ...

With tension between Turkey and Iran over the deployment of Patriot missiles along Turkeys border with Syria lingering for the foreseeable future, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an has said the Iranian chief of General Staff uttered nonsense when he said stationing the Patriot missiles could set the stage for a world war. Speaking on ...

DUBAI(Reuters) - The installation of Patriot anti-missile batteries sent by NATO members to bolster Turkey's defenses against a possible missile attack from Syria will only harm Turkey's security, Iran's defense minister was quoted as saying on Saturday. NATO approved Turkey's request for the air defense system earlier this month, in a move meant ...

Turkey's deputy prime minister has criticized remarks made by Iranian officials on NATO's decision to dispatch Patriot anti-missile systems to sole Muslim ally Turkey -- a deployment also criticized by Syria and Russia -- pointing to Iran's possession of long-range rockets. Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, Ali Babacan said that remarks made ...

Iran considers the Patriot air defence missiles that NATO allowed to deploy in Turkey to defend its territory as a trap, expert at the Turkish-Asian Centre for Strategic Studies Muharrem Khilmi told the Voice of Russia. Undoubtedly, Patriot missiles are designed for defence purposes. But duringcombat operations, they could practically block ...

ANKARA, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Turkey on Tuesday denied Iran's accusations, reiterating that the deployment of NATO's Patriot systems is for defense purposes only. Speaking at a press conference with his Portuguese counterpart, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters that " We'll take steps in order to protect our country on the basis ...

Russia is categorically opposed to the Turkeys installation of Patriot anti-aircraftmissiles along its border with Syria. Most have assumed that the Moscow's opposition was driven by its friendship with embattled Syrian PresidentBashar al-Assad. But Russian military experts tell Kommersant that Moscow is actually concerned that themissileswill ...

Remarks by Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi calling Turkey's deployment of NATO-sponsored Patriot missiles on the Syrian border a provocation toward large-scale war have brought a new dimension to a widening rift in relations between Turkey and Iran, say Turkish analysts. Sour relations between the two regional powers have become more ...

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has canceled his visit toTurkeyfollowing Iran's military chief of staffs remarks over Patirots that are being deployed on Turkish soil, daily Hrriyet reported today. Prime MinisterRecep Tayyip Erdo?an had invited the Iranian president to the Central Anatolian province of Konya for a ceremony marking the 739th ...