It should be known that Israel is based on treachery.

Syria is geographically and politically in the middle of the Middle East. That is why we are in contact with most of the problems forever, let us say, whether directly or indirectly.

We don't discuss this issue [ chemical weapons ] in public because we never said that we have it, and we never said that we don't have it. It's a Syrian issue ; it's a military issue we never discuss in public with anyone.

We have agreements with many countries including Iran, including Russia, including other countries that are about different things including armament. It's cooperation like any cooperation between any two countries, which is normal. It's not related to the crisis.

In any war, people will pay the price.

This is the Middle East, where every week you have something new; so whatever you talk about this week will not be valuable next week.

We have the precedent of Collin Powell ten years ago, when he showed the evidence, it was false, and it was forged.