Iran says its response to Israeli ‘crimes’ will come ‘at right time’

Iran will retaliate against Israel for its “crimes” at a time of its choosing, senior Iranian official Mohammad Javad Zarif stated on Sunday. His remarks were made during a memorial for Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last week.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم،
مِّنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ رِجَالࣱ صَدَقُواْ مَا عَٰهَدُواْ ٱللَّهَ عَلَيۡهِۖ فَمِنۡهُم مَّن قَضَىٰ نَحۡبَهُۥ وَمِنۡهُم مَّن يَنتَظِرُۖ وَمَا بَدَّلُواْ تَبۡدِيلࣰا

إن جريمة اغتيال العلامهٔ المجاهد سماحهٔ السيد حسن نصرالله أدمت قلوبنا وأيتمت مقاومتنا وجمهورها… pic.twitter.com/nkRnLeh2p6

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) September 28, 2024

Iran’s retaliation against Israel

“The Iranian response to the crimes of the Israeli regime will come at the right time and according to Iran’s choice, and will be determined at the highest levels,” Zarif said, without specifying any further details.

The assassination of the great scholar and mujahid, His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has broken our hearts and orphaned our resistance and its supporters in Lebanon and all countries of the world.

Netanyahu and those who supplied him with assassination weapons have shown their desperation and complete disregard for innocent human life, and we are certain that they will undoubtedly fail in their goal of compensating for their defeat in Gaza and restoring the myth of invincibility.

The resistance will continue as long as the cause, aggression and occupation persist. As we have always promised, Iran stands in solidarity with Lebanon, its people and the just cause of resisting aggression.

Mohammad Javad Zarif

Iran expresses support for Lebanon

In a separate event, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, spoke with his Lebanese counterpart, Nabih Berri, expressing Iran’s continued support for Lebanon. Ghalibaf also conveyed his condolences for the death of Nasrallah, according to Tasnim News Agency.

“We are witnessing an increase in the problems faced by the Lebanese people and war refugees these days. As always, we stand by Lebanon,” Ghalibaf added.

Berri reiterated Lebanon’s stance against Israel, accusing the country of trying to displace southern Lebanon’s population. “The fight against Israel will continue,” he said.

Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon cause heavy casualties

Since September 23, Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon have killed over 816 people and injured more than 2,500, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

This escalation comes in the wake of Israel’s war on Gaza, which has claimed nearly 41,600 lives, primarily women and children, following a cross-border Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

Fears of a wider regional conflict

International observers have voiced concerns that Israel’s military actions in Lebanon could escalate the ongoing Gaza conflict into a broader regional war. The situation remains tense as both sides engage in cross-border hostilities.