RABAT, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Morocco deplored on Saturday the deterioration of the situation in the Middle East, including Saturday's military escalation in Syria, stressing that the solution to the Syrian crisis can only be political.

Morocco, which has always respected international law, can only condemn the use of chemical weapons, particularly against innocent civilian populations, the Moroccan Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The statement added that "past experiences have taught us that military options, including airstrikes - no matter how justified or proportionate they can be - only make it more difficult to find a political solution, deepen the suffering of civilian victims and heighten their anti-West sentiment."

The timing chosen for this escalation, on the eve of important Arab events and the absence of the usual appropriate consultations, may raise questions, misunderstanding and indignation, the statement said.

Similarly, different standards adopted in the management of international conflicts, in some cases resorting quickly to military options and, in other cases, imposing international legality, would only fuel international tensions, it added.

Morocco hopes that reason will prevail with a view to finding a solution to the crisis that preserves the national unity of this country and the dignity of these populations and secures an effective fight against intolerance, extremism and terrorism, the source said.

On earlier Saturday, the United States, Britain and France launched a missile attack on military positions in Syrian capital Damascus and the central province of Homs to retaliate for the Syrian government's alleged use of chemical weapons in a rebel-held district east of Damascus last week.