Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a phone conversation with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, declared that Tehran is ready to respond to any provocations from Israel.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran is making every effort to maintain peace and security in the region, but it is fully prepared to deliver a decisive response to any adventurism by the Zionist regime (i.e., Israel)," read a statement published on the Iranian Foreign Ministry's website following the conversation on Tuesday evening.
During the discussion, Araghchi highlighted the "catastrophic humanitarian situation" in Gaza and Lebanon, which he attributed to Israel’s actions. He urged Guterres to utilize all available resources of the UN to "halt the aggression" of Israel and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to the affected areas. Araghchi further emphasized that the responsibility for escalating tensions in the Middle East lies with "the Israeli regime and its main ally—the United States."
In response, Guterres expressed concern over the rising tensions in the region, exacerbated by Israel's continued attacks on Gaza and Lebanon. He stressed the importance of seeking a political resolution to the conflict and the need to assist those affected by the violence.
On the evening of October 1, Iran launched a massive missile strike on Israel in retaliation for the killings of key leaders within the Palestinian Hamas movement, Hezbollah, and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Tehran claimed that 90% of the missiles hit their intended targets, while Israel reported that out of approximately 180 missiles fired, the majority were intercepted. Israel's General Staff has vowed to retaliate, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that any Israeli response would provoke even larger counterstrikes from Tehran.
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Based on TASS materials