'Iran denies building bugs in Syria'

An Iranian diplomat rebuffs an Israeli claim that Tehran is building listening stations in Syria to intercept Israeli military communications.

"This is not the first time that Israeli sources give such as these false news," the media advisor at the Iranian embassy in Damascus told al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper on Thursday.

The embassy official said any cooperation between Syrian and Iranian private firms in telephone and cell phone projects is taken by Western media to be listening stations.

"But if Syria built listening stations, then it would have the right to in the same way Israel does," the diplomat said.

A Syrian Member of Parliament and head of Syrian-Iranian relations committee, Mohammed Habash, told the al-Sharq al-Awsat the real objective of Syrian cooperation with Russia, China and Iran is to protect the country and the listening stations in Syria are not secret.

"We are still at war with Israel," Habash said, adding that his country has the right to defend itself with all means within international law.