Arab League statement on Syria hasty: Iran

Iran has described the Arab League's statement holding the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad responsible for the chemical weapons attack in Damascus last month as hasty and politically motivated.

"The adoption of stance by the Arab League before the official announcement of the results of the United Nations' investigation proves that it is politically motivated and is a kind of prejudgment," Iran's foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham told the Iranian Student News Agency.

Afkham said Monday the statement is intended to increase the pressure on the Syrian government. "Such stances do not help settle the current dispute and only deepens the crisis."

"Provoking and encouraging the use of force is very risky," Afkham said.

Following an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo Sunday, Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby said the body held the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad responsible for the chemical weapons attack in Damascus last month, Iran's Mehr news agency reported.

Elaraby said the United Nations inspectors who had investigated the attack site "do not have the powers to say who committed this... so, all the inspectors will say is that chemical weapons have been used".

Afkham said: "The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that (all) comments and efforts should be aimed at stopping the spread of the crisis and preventing the region from getting into a situation in which there would be no end for it."

Afkham called on all parties involved in the crisis to act unanimously to counter "the organised terrorism" in Syria and stop certain governments' support for terrorists in the Arab country.