Syrian ambassador to Iran: Syria is at war with Israel

Syrian Ambassador to Iran Hamed Hassan declared on Monday that Syria was at war with Israel and the U.S., calling the Israeli and American capitals the "axis of evil."

"This is a bitter, persistent war," Hassan said at a rally in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Tehran on Monday. "The axis of evil based in Tel Aviv and Washington has been joined by Turkey and Arab nations such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar. These countries are helping our enemies sow fear and panic in Syria and are even arming the terrorists that infiltrate Syria through the Turkish border."

Meanwhile, Syrian rebels circulated a video on Monday of what they claimed was the downing of a warplane. The video showed armed men holding the captured pilot, who had ejected as the MiG fighter was engulfed by flames. Syria acknowledged that a pilot had bailed out of a disabled plane but blamed the crash on a technical malfunction.

The authenticity of the images or the claims could not be independently verified. If the rebels did bring down their first aircraft, that could signal a significant jump in their firepower and give opposition forces their most high-profile military captive.

But wider questions remain even if the rebel reports are confirmed, including whether this could be just a one-time blow against expanding air offensives by the forces of Assad's regime. Just days ago, protesters across Syria pleaded for the rebels' main backers — including Turkey and Gulf states — to send anti-aircraft weapons for outgunned fighters.

Assad's military has significantly stepped up aerial attacks in recent weeks. Strafing from warplanes and close-range missile strikes from helicopter gunships have pushed back rebels in key fronts such as Aleppo, the country's largest city and the scene of fierce attacks to dislodge rebel positions.

As the Syrian civil war rages on, supporters of Assad's regime have been increasingly defecting. Most recently, on Monday the Organization of Islamic Cooperation suspended Syria from its ranks.

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