Ali Bagheri Kani made the comments in a phone conversation with Slovenia’s Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon on Sunday. The two diplomats discussed the situation in West Asia in the aftermatch of the Israeli regime’s assassination of top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week.
More than 300 days into the Gaza war, the Israeli regime, which has faced defeats inflicted by the Resistance Front, continues to kill defenseless Palestinians in Gaza and has resorted to terrorist acts against civilian areas in Yemen, Lebanon and recently in Tehran, Bagheri Kani said.
He noted that the Islamic Republic is surprised by Europe’s silence as well as the absence of a UN Security Council statement on the Israeli regime’s acts of aggression against Iran, Lebanon and Yemen. He also said that European countries’ failure to condemn Haniyeh’s assassination has sparked ecriticism.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will undoubtedly use its legitimate and inherent right to defend its security, sovereignty and territorial integrity with the aim of creating deterrence against the aggressive actions of the Zionist regime and the continuation of security and stability in West Asia”, the Iranian interim foreign minister said.
The Slovenian foreign minister, pointed to Iran’s right to self-defense, saying that her country condemns any violation of international law, expressing hope that all parties exercise restraint in order to [reserve regional stability.
As regards the Gaza war, she said that Slovenia wants a ceasefire there, adding that the Islamic Republic of Iran is a very important player in the region and can play an essential role.
She also announced her country’s readiness to provide conditions for dialog in order to prevent the escalation of tensions in the region.
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