A senior commander of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards is warning the United States against attacking Syria, saying such a move would be a “dangerous mistake.”

Gen. Hossein Salami, acting commander of the Guards told a group of students on Tuesday that an attack against the regime of Bashar al-Assad would spread the “spirit of jihad” among Muslims and encourage animosity toward the West.

Gen. Salami said Syria is not “alone.” Assad is Iran’s main Middle East ally who supports Tehran and its proxy forces, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Iran does not recognize Israel.

(AP)