It affirmed the right to “legitimate self-defense.” Iran: Israel is “exporting war” to the region.

Iran accuses the Israeli occupation authorities of trying to expand the war to the Middle East, at a time when diplomatic pressure is being stepped up to prevent further escalation of the situation, as the war in the Gaza Strip continues into its eleventh month.
In an interview with AFP yesterday, Iranian Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri said that the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran “was a strategic mistake that will be followed by a high price”. Bagheri stressed Iran’s “right to self-defense” as “legitimate self-defense”. He added that the response would be “costly” but “it would be in the interests of security and stability, and thus in the interests of all countries in the region.” In response to a question about the nature of the response, he said: “The officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran are the ones who decide how to respond in the interests of the Republic.” A Lebanese ministerial source told AFP that “the international community is in constant contact” to reduce escalation, but this “does not deny that Israel is very cautious about any response”, noting that “the tension that spread two days ago has relatively calmed down”. He spoke of the “calm atmosphere in the Gaza Strip and the efforts of mediators to achieve a ceasefire”, and believed that “if it is ultimately successful, it will have a (positive) impact on Lebanon.” In Rome, the office of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced that the latter spoke on Thursday with the Iranian president and stressed “the need to avoid further escalation and reopen channels for dialogue.”