Iran says it will "severely punish" Israel but does not want to jeopardize potential ceasefire
2024-08-10
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According to the latest report from Chinanews.com on August 10, Iran said that it would "severely punish" Israel for the assassination of Haniyeh, the leader of the Political Bureau of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). In response, the White House said that it would "take the relevant remarks seriously" and invest resources to protect Israel.
Iran: Will "severely punish" Israel
According to Reuters, citing Iranian media reports on the 9th local time, Ali Fadavi, deputy commander of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said that Iran will follow the orders of Supreme Leader Khamenei and "severely punish" Israel for the assassination of Hamas Politburo leader Haniyeh.
File photo: Khamenei.
The report quoted Fadavi as saying, "The Supreme Leader's (Khamenei) orders to severely punish Israel and avenge Ismail Haniyeh are clear and unambiguous... These orders will be implemented in the best possible way."
According to previous reports, Hamas confirmed on July 31 that its political bureau leader Haniyeh was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran in the early hours of the same day. Iran said on August 5 that it had the "legitimate right" to respond to Haniyeh's assassination in Tehran, accusing Israel of carrying out the assassination. Israel has neither admitted nor denied the assassination.
"Gaza ceasefire is priority"
According to the Iranian state news agency, Iran's mission to the United Nations said on August 9 that "the recent terrorist act of the Israeli regime (assassination of Haniyeh) violated our national security and sovereignty. We have a legitimate right to self-defense, and this has nothing to do with the ceasefire in Gaza."
The delegation added, "However, we hope that the timing and manner of our response will be appropriate and will not undermine a potential ceasefire."
The delegation also said, "Our top priority is to achieve a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, and we will recognize any agreement accepted by Hamas."
Qatar, Egypt and the United States recently issued a joint statement calling on Israel and Hamas to resume negotiations on August 15. The Israeli Prime Minister's Office confirmed on the 9th that Israeli representatives will participate in the negotiations.
On May 6, local time, Israel launched an air strike east of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, and smoke rose.
The White House responded: Take it seriously
In response to Fadavi's remarks, White House National Security Council spokesman Kirby said the United States is ready to invest significant resources in the region to protect Israel, adding, "When we hear such remarks, we must take them seriously, and we do so."
US Defense Secretary Austin recently ordered adjustments to the US military posture, increasing the US military presence in the Middle East and strengthening US support for Israel. The US Central Command issued a statement on the 8th saying that the US F-22 fighter jets had arrived in the Middle East that day.
Asked about the reports about Iran, a State Department spokesman said, "We do not want to speculate on what actions the Iranian regime will take."
A State Department spokesman also said the United States has been in contact with partners in the region and beyond, adding that all parties must avoid escalating the situation.
