Of course. Who else could it be? “Iran: Syria’s problems rooted in Zionist meddling,” from Ynet News, January 27 (thanks to Alexander):
Iran reiterated Saturday its threats that any attack on Syria would be perceived as one on the Islamic Republic and will meet “a harsh response.”
Tehran’s IRNA news agency quoted Defense Minister Brigadier-General Ahmad Vahidi as saying that Syrian Army, which is “the vanguard of campaign against Zionist regime should not be weakened.”
Iran has been Syrian President Bashar Assad’s strongest allay since Syria plunged into civil war.
Tehran has supplied Damascus with funds, weapons and training; and has repeatedly vowed to send its army to Assad’s aid should any attempt be made by the West to topple his regime.
The threats have become more strident following NATO’s decision to send Patriot missile batteries to Turkey, which fears the civil war tearing its neighbor apart may morph into a war between them.
The first of six Patriot missile batteries placed near the Turkish-Syrian border went operational on Saturday.
Vahidi told reporters that “The Syrian crisis should be resolved through peaceful means and national dialogue between the warring parties.”
He denounced any attempt to hasten said solution by the West, saying that “Any alien interference has so far brought only harmful consequences for the Syrian people.
“The Syrian problems have roots in covert and overt interference of the Zionists,” he said adding that “Iran has always adopted a rational stand toward Syria.”
Commenting on the Patriot deployment in Turkey, Vahidi said that “The move is not useful. We believe it will create misunderstanding among countries in the region.
“Enemies try to sow discord among Islamic states through masterminding various scenarios,” he said….