Iran’s new Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told his French and British counterparts in telephone conversations on Friday that it was his country’s right to retaliate against Israel for last month’s assassination of a Hamas official in Tehran, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Iran blames Israel for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on July 31, which Araqchi was quoted as saying was “an unforgivable violation of Iran’s security and sovereignty,” adding: “Punishing the aggressor is Iran’s right.”
Israel has neither claimed nor denied responsibility for Haniyeh’s death in the Iranian capital.
France’s Stephane Sejourne and Britain’s David Lammy had called to congratulate Araqchi on his appointment this week as Iran’s new foreign minister.