Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has denounced as “a flagrant violation of internal law” Israel’s latest aggression against Iran, saying the Islamic Republic will neither hesitate nor rush in responding to the occupying regime.
Araghchi made the remarks during a meeting on the latest developments in the region on Tuesday, attended by foreign ambassadors, heads of diplomatic missions and international organizations residing in the capital Tehran.
“As we had previously warned in various ways, Iran has fully reserved its legal right to respond appropriately to such a clear aggression, and the Israeli regime will bear the consequences of its miscalculations regarding the might, resolve and adeptness of the Islamic Republic of Iran. However, in doing so, Iran will neither hesitate nor act hastily,” Araghchi said.
He further noted that Iran was successful in neutralizing the Israeli aggression, adding that the occupying regime failed to achieve its malicious goals.
However, he said, “the assailant Zionist regime and its enablers cannot avoid the political and legal responsibility of this clear act of aggression and must be held accountable for it.”
Araghchi further expressed gratitude “to all the peace-loving countries of the region and others who by realizing the severity of the situation, expressed their disgust and condemned the aggressive action of the occupying Israeli regime.”
The top Iranian diplomat also noted that he deeply regrets the silence or support shown by some countries, saying such behavior emboldens the Israeli regime to continue its crimes.
He went on to say that the military support of some Western countries, particularly the United States, have led to the intensification of the Israeli regime's aggression against Lebanon, which has seriously jeopardized regional and international peace and security.
Araghci further underscored the need for stopping Israeli aggression and crimes in Gaza and Lebanon, calling on the international community to take immediate and decisive measures to stop the killing of innocent Lebanese and Palestinians.
He also stressed that the region will not see peace until the aggression in Gaza and Lebanon is stopped.
Israel has been targeting Lebanon since October 2023, when it launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.
Hezbollah has been responding to the aggression with numerous retaliatory operations, including one with a hypersonic ballistic missile, targeting the occupied Palestinian territories.
Since late September, Israel has escalated its strikes against Hezbollah, killing its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and a number of its senior figures.
At least 2,710 people have been killed by Israeli fire, and 12,592 others wounded since the clashes began last year, the health ministry says.
The Lebanese resistance movement has vowed to keep up its operations against Israel as long as the Israeli regime continues its Gaza war, which has so far killed at least 43,020 Palestinians, mostly women and children.