Defense minister’s praise of Iran over attack on Israel not intended for Belarus audience – pundit

April 30, Pozirk. Defense Minister Viktar Chrenin’s praise of the Iranian air attack on Israel “was clearly not intended for publication in Belarus,” which may explain why the state-run media ignored the news, political analyst Alexander Friedman has told Pozirk.

Chrenin made the controversial statement on April 27 as he met his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Ashtiani in Astana, Kazakhstan.

The Belarusian general condemned the Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1, praising Tehran’s air attack on Israel on April 14 as “wise and prudent” retaliatory operation, Iran’s Tasnim reported.

The Belarusian defense minister could indeed express himself in such a way as to please the Iranian side but he does not need such statements circulating in the Belarusian media, Friedman said, noting that other Belarusian officials commented on that topic in a more reserved way.

Late on April 13, Iran carried out a five-hour airstrike on Israel. The Israeli Defense Forces reported the launch of 120 ballistic missiles, 30 cruise missiles and over 170 drones.

Israel’s air defenses, aided by the United States, Jordan and other nations, reportedly intercepted 99 percent of the targets.

Observers noted that the Iranian attack was a failure because of Israel’s technological superiority.

The Belarusian foreign ministry expressed concern about the escalation in the Middle East without mentioning the air strikes.

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