Iran’s attack on Israel aimed to stop its crimes, build peace in region: President Pezeshkian

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says the country’s recent missile attack on Israel aimed to stop the regime’s crimes and establish peace in the region.

Pezeshkian made the remark in a phone conversation with Prime Minister of the Netherlands Dick Schoof on Sunday, after Iran launched hundreds of missiles towards Israeli military, and espionage and intelligence bases all over the occupied territories on October 1 as part of Operation True Promise II.

The operation came in response to the regime’s assassinations of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary General of the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah, and Brigadier General Abbas Nilforushan, the Deputy Commander for Operations of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC).

Iran’s response to any Israeli aggression will be stronger: FM

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran will give a “clear and obvious” response to any Israeli attack.

Pezeshkian said Iran carried out the missile attack in order to curb Israel’s brutality, stop its efforts to spread conflicts in the region and establish peace and tranquility.

The operation was in accordance with the United Nations Charter and based on international legal frameworks and only hit military targets, he added.

He emphasized that Iran had refrained from giving an immediate response to Israel’s terrorist crime in assassinating Haniyeh in Tehran and violating its national sovereignty in the hope that diplomatic bids would lead to the establishment of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Israel assassinated Haniyeh in Tehran with the purpose of making up for its failures in the Gaza Strip, he noted, criticizing Western countries and the US for refusing to condemn the regime’s terrorist crimes.

Haniyeh was assassinated on July 31, while he was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of President Pezeshkian. Iran vowed to avenge his blood.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Pezeshkian said Iran seeks to develop balanced relations with all countries, including Western states, and has no intention to wage war and create tensions.

The Dutch prime minister, for his part, said his country strongly believes that the region cannot bear more tensions and has called on all parties to prevent the escalation of conflicts.

Schoof added that the Netherlands has urged Israel to accept a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and has supported the US proposal for the establishment of a ceasefire in Lebanon.

He emphasized that his country welcomes Iran’s policy on improving relations with European countries and stressed the need to take tangible steps in this regard.

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