February 16, 2005
Fox News
Photo: Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref (R) stands with Syrian Prime Minister Naji al-Otari during the official welcoming ceremony at Tehran's Saadabad Palace February 16, 2005. Iran and Syria, both locked in rows with the United States, said on Wednesday they would form a common front to face challenges and threats. (Raheb Homavandi/Reuters)
A large explosion rocked the southern Iranian city of Dailam on Wednesday as both Iran and Syria said they will unite against any challenges or threats to their nations' livelihoods.
As of the morning, it was unclear what exactly caused the blast. But whatever the cause, the explosion — and various comments from Iran and others immediately following the reports — pointed to the growing tensions among Iraq's neighbors.
Iranian state television initially reported that an unknown aircraft fired a missile in a desert area near the southern city of Dailam in the Bushehr province, the location of a nuclear power plant. The network later said, however, that the explosion may have been caused by a fuel tank dropping from an Iranian plane. Iranian revolutionary guards said there was no attack in Iran, but they also denied reports of a falling fuel tank.
"A powerful explosion was heard this morning on the outskirts of Dailam in the Bushehr province. Witnesses said that the missile was fired from an unknown plane 20 km [12 miles] from the city," Iran's Arabic language Al-Alam said in a Reuters report.
Israeli security officials said their military was not involved with the blast. The Russian embassy in Tehran later said there was no attack on the nuclear power plant, according to Reuters.
Russia has completed construction work at the Bushehr nuclear reactor in Iran, but it is not yet operational. The United States has expressed fears that the $800 million Bushehr deal could help Tehran build nuclear weapons.
Russia says that having Iran ship spent nuclear fuel back to Russia will make any such projects impossible.
"We cannot confirm the reports at this point. We are checking," Interior Ministry spokesman Jahanbakhsh Khanjani said.
U.S. officials said they had no information about a blast but were checking on the matter.
"We've seen the reports and we're looking into it," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.
Separately, a Defense Department spokesman stressed to Reuters that "it is U.S. policy to deal with Iran in a diplomatic manner." The State Department also said it had no information but was looking into the blast reports.
On the alliance issue, Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, after meeting with Syrian Prime Minister Naji al-Otari, told reporters in Tehran: "We are ready to help Syria on all grounds to confront threats."
"This meeting, which takes place at this sensitive time, is important, especially because Syria and Iran face several challenges and it is necessary to build a common front," he added.
Both Iran and Syria are in the midst of international disputes with the United States.
Observers said an alliance of any kind between the two nations — though they've had relations in the past — isn't a good idea.
"They feel the ground shifting under them" as democracy begins to take root in neighboring countries like Iraq, Robert McFarlane, who served as national security adviser to former President Reagan, told FOX News. "It's a very misguided effort, this idea of cooperation between Iran and Syria. They've wreaked years and years of devastation to Lebanon and the sponsorship of terrorism."
Ret. Air Force Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney said: "They have been joined for a long time in creating terrorism in the region. That shouldn't be any surprise to any of us, they've just now announced it publicly."
Sanctions for Syria?
In one sign that the situation in Syria is far from rosy, the United States on Tuesday recalled its ambassador to that country in a sign it's far from pleased with Damascus after Monday's killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri. Al-Hariri, credited with rebuilding post-civil war Lebanon, was killed in a bombing.
There are suspicions that Syria somehow was involved in the assassination. The U.N. Security Council has demanded that Lebanon find those responsible for Hariri's slaying.
Edward Djerejian, director of the Baker Institute at Rice University, said Hariri's killing is just the latest of a series of "horrible" political assassinations aimed at derailing Lebanon's independence.
"Instead of through the ballot box, Lebanese leaders have been brutally killed," Djerejian told FOX News. His killing "really is causing all the issues of Lebanon's independence, sovereignty to come to the floor."
U.S. officials are considering imposing new sanctions on Syria because of its refusal to withdraw its 14,000 troops from Lebanon and Washington's belief that Syria allows Palestinian militants and Iraqi insurgents operate on its soil. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said this week that the United States "will continue to consider other options" when asked if new sanctions would be pushed by the American government.
"The Syrian problem is a serious problem," Rice added. "Our problems with the Syrian government are not new."
But the international community has to be behind those sanctions in order for them to be effective, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison told FOX News on Wednesday morning.
"Once again, it takes away a lot of the leverage of the world to try to help people who want to be free," said the Texas Republican, referring to how some countries seem unwilling to force sanctions upon Syria.
"We don't have anyone standing up saying, 'We should have sanctions, we should act swiftly to show Syria and the world that the people of Lebanon can stand up on their own determination,'" she said.
McFarlane said the United Nations should take a stronger stance in telling Syria to get out of Lebanon — or else.
"I think in the wake of this tragedy [assassination of Hariri], it's timely for the U.N. to pass another resolution with some teeth in it this time to require Syrian to withdraw," he said. "It's been a continuing menace for years and years, but this marks an appropriate time for Syria to withdraw its troops."
Added McInerney: "The Lebanese people are sick of the Syrians. Let's take advantage of that."
U.S. officials say Syria's military presence and its political power-broking role are generally responsible for Lebanon's instability. Syria has denied accusations that it supports terrorism.
Iran is also on America's and the international community's terror watch list.
President Bush has branded Iran part of an "axis of evil," along with pre-war Iraq and North Korea, calling Iran "the world's primary state sponsor of terror." He also has accused Tehran of attempting to build up its nuclear program in order to make nuclear weapons; Iran argues that its program is legitimate and only for electricity generation.
Not helping matters were unnamed U.S. officials saying spy drones have been flying over Iran for nearly a year to seek evidence of nuclear weapons programs. That possible revelation, as of yet not confirmed by the White House, was reported in the Washington Post on Sunday.
Iran's intelligence chief on Wednesday accused the United States of flying the drones over its nuclear sites and threatened to shoot down the unmanned surveillance crafts.
"If any of the bright objects come close, they will definitely meet our fire and will be shot down. We possess the necessary equipment to confront them," Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesi said.
FOX News' Liza Porteus and The Associated Press contributed to this report..
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