Iran warns of 'harsh consequences' if US acts on Syria

A war of words erupted today over Syria as Washington said it is ready to take action over chemical weapons attacks and Tehran warned US intervention would carry "harsh consequences".
Pressure mounted on Damascus to allow a UN probe of chemical attacks, with French President Francois Hollande saying evidence indicated the regime in war-ravaged Syria was to blame and Israel demanding action against its neighbour.
The Al-Nusra Front, a fierce Al-Qaeda-linked group fighting the regime of Bashar al-Assad, vowed revenge against villages of the Syrian president's minority Alawite community.
Doctors Without Borders said 355 people died this week of "neurotoxic" symptoms, after Syria's opposition claimed regime forces unleashed chemicals east and southwest of Damascus on Wednesday causing more than 1,300 deaths.

If confirmed, it would be the deadliest use of chemical agents since late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein gassed Iranian troops and Kurdish rebels in the 1980s.
US President Barack Obama said a year ago that the use of chemical weapons by Assad's forces was a "red line" that could trigger Western intervention.

Today a strident warning came from Washington's archfoe Iran.
"If the United States crosses this red line, there will be harsh consequences for the White House," armed forces deputy chief of staff Massoud Jazayeri said.
His comments come a day after Obama held a rare meeting with his top aides and discussed Syria by phone with British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Cameron's office said they two leaders agreed the use of chemical weapons would "merit a serious response" -- echoing French calls.
Today Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said the US military was "prepared to exercise whatever option" against Syria but intelligence was still being evaluated.
Syria denies it used chemical weapons and has reportedly said it will work with UN inspectors who have been on the ground for a week to probe three other suspect sites.
"The Syrian government will cooperate with the United Nations mission now in Syria to create the conditions for a visit to zones where terrorist groups have carried out attacks with chemical weapons," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said.

He said Muallem gave him the pledge during a phone conversation but there was no independent confirmation.