Iran has dismissed Western demands to refrain from retaliating against Israel following the assassination of Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month.
According to the AFP news agency, the Islamic Republic and its allies blamed Israel for the killing of Haniyeh on July 31 during the swearing-in ceremony of President Masoud Pezeshkian, although Israel has not commented on the incident.
Iran has expressed its determination to avenge the death of the Hamas leader, who was killed in Beirut in an Israeli attack just hours after the assassination of a senior commander of Hezbollah, a powerful Iranian-backed group in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Western diplomats have been making efforts to prevent a major conflict in the Middle East, where tensions were already high due to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
In a statement on Monday, the U.S. and its European allies urged Iran to de-escalate the situation. In a joint statement by the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, and the U.S., it was stated, “We have called on Iran to withdraw its ongoing threats of military attacks against Israel and discussed the severe consequences for regional security in the event of such an attack.”
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh martyred in an assassination attack in Iran
The White House has warned that there is a risk of Iran and its allies launching an attack on Israel this week, noting that Israel has expressed similar concerns.
In response, the U.S. has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group and a guided missile submarine to the region in support of Israel.
However, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani criticized the Western demand for de-escalation.
In a statement, he said, “In the statement by France, Germany, and the U.K., Iran is brazenly demanded not to take any action against a government that has violated its sovereignty and territorial integrity. There is no objection in their statement to the international crimes committed by the Zionist regime.”
He added that such a request lacks political logic and constitutes public and practical support for Israel.
