Iran has rejected Western calls to back down from attacking Israel. The country’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, stated that Iran has the right to retaliate for the missile strike that killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was a guest in Tehran on the day of his inauguration.
On Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said that the calls from the leaders of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom for Iran to back down lacked political reasoning and were contrary to international law.
Last Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a joint statement supporting efforts by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States to mediate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The European leaders urged Hamas to release Israeli hostages and remove obstacles to delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. They also called on Iran and its allies to refrain from attacking Israel, arguing that such actions would escalate tensions in the Middle East. AFP reported that on the same Monday, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom issued a statement warning Tehran against launching an attack.
The White House warned that Iran and its allied armed groups might launch a “significant attack” on Israel soon. Israel shares this concern.
On July 31, reports emerged that Hamas leader Haniyeh had been assassinated. It was reported that he was killed in a short-range missile attack on the guesthouse where he was staying in Tehran.
Haniyeh had traveled to Tehran to attend the inauguration of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian. Just hours before Haniyeh’s death, Israel had killed a senior commander of Lebanon’s armed group Hezbollah in Beirut. In response to the assassination of these two leaders, Iran and its ally Hezbollah have vowed to retaliate.
In response to the threats, the United States quickly deployed missile-carrying submarines and aircraft carriers to the region to show support for its close ally Israel.
Iran’s president told UK Prime Minister Starmer that Iran considers it their right to retaliate for Haniyeh’s assassination in July. He stated that this is the correct approach to discourage future Israeli aggression. According to Iran’s news agency IRNA, Pezeshkian spoke with Starmer over the phone last Monday.
Israel is preparing for both defense and retaliation in the face of Iran’s threats. According to a report by The Times of Israel, if Iran attacks Israel, Israel will retaliate against Iran. Israel has informed its U.S. and European allies of this. Even if the Iranian attack causes no damage, Israel plans to respond with a counterattack. Meanwhile, the U.S. has pledged full support to protect Israel. U.S. intelligence has warned that Iran and its allied armed groups could launch an attack soon. White House spokesperson John Kirby said the attack could occur this week. The U.S. issued this warning amid Israel’s extensive preparations for a counterattack.
Hezbollah’s Attack
Israel claimed that a drone attack was launched from Lebanon into Israel yesterday. Their Iron Dome air defense system intercepted the attack. The Israeli military has increased patrols in neighboring Lebanon and continues to strike targets daily. Military spokesperson Daniel Hagari announced an increase in air patrols over Hezbollah’s base in Lebanon and ongoing attacks to eliminate threats.
