State TV reported on Monday that Iran’s senior envoy stated a “preemptive action” may be expected in the coming hours and that Israel will be punished for any action taken in the Gaza Strip.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on state TV, “Leaders of the Resistance will not allow the Zionist regime to take any action in Gaza…. All options are open and we cannot be indifferent to the war crimes committed against the people of Gaza.”
“The resistance front is capable of waging a long-term war with the enemy (Israel)… in the coming hours, we can expect a preemptive action by the resistance front,” he stated without going into further.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared last week that Iran was not engaged in the October 7 attack on Israel by the Hamas militant group that Tehran supports, but he praised what he called Israel’s “irreparable” military and intelligence setback.
Since its revolution in 1979, the Islamic Republic’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause has been a cornerstone of the Shi’ite-dominated country’s efforts to position itself as a leader in the Muslim world. Iran claims to provide Hamas, the group in charge of the Gaza Strip, with both emotional and financial backing.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi had earlier indicated on Monday that the resistance front against Israel made its own decisions despite Tehran’s backing for the Palestinian cause.
