Iran has right to ‘legitimate defence’, FM Araghchi says after Israel strikes

ISLAMABAD: Iran is not seeking “escalation” but has the right to “legitimate defense”, its foreign minister said Tuesday in Pakistan, vowing to respond to last month’s Israeli strikes on its military sites.

“Unlike Israel, the Islamic Republic of Iran doesn’t seek escalation, however, we reserve our inherent right to legitimate defence,” Abbas Araghchi said during a news conference, alongside his Pakistan counterpart.

“We will certainly respond to the Israeli aggression in a proper time and in a proper manner,” and “in a very measured and well-calculated manner”, said Araghchi who is on a two-day official visit to Pakistan.

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Israeli warplanes carried out the October 26 strikes which it said targeted Iran’s defence capabilities and missile production, but Tehran said its missile production remained intact.

Israel’s attack was in retaliation for an October 1 Iranian missile barrage, itself retaliation for the killing of leaders and a Revolutionary Guards commander.

Since the strikes, Israel has warned Iran against retaliating, while Tehran vowed to respond.

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Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar also joined his Iranian counterpart to condemn Israel’s “unrestrained military aggression” in the region and called the strikes on Tehran a “grave violation”.

“Its genocidal actions against civilians and its illegal measures in occupied territories are in violation of international law,” Dar said.

Pakistan has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel primarily due to the South Asian nation’s stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

On Saturday, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say in all matters of the state, said the Islamic republic would retaliate.