The Iranian defense minister told his Syrian counterpart Fahd al-Freij in a phone conversation that American preparations for a strike in Syria will worsen the situation in the region and "those who start a war will be the biggest loser."

The Islamic Republic is observing the developments in Syria and gives great importance to the crisis-stricken country, Dehqan noted.

The Syrian defense minister, for his part, said that criminal terrorists have used chemical weapons against civilians in Syria and blamed the Syrian army for the attacks to absorb regional and international support.

Freij underlined “the brave Syrian armed forces and people are ready to respond to any foreign military intervention.

Accusations have been leveled by a number of Western and Arab countries after the militants operating inside Syria and the foreign-backed Syrian opposition claimed on August 21 that hundreds had been killed in a government chemical attack on militant strongholds in the Damascus suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar.

The Damascus government, however, has vehemently denied the accusations, saying the chemical attack was carried out by the militants themselves as a false-flag operation.

A number of Western countries, including the US, France, and Britain, were quick to adopt the rhetoric of war against Syria despite the fact that Damascus strongly rejected the claim.

NTJ/BA