‘Nothing can be done’ – Gaza ceasefire is urgent, but Iran reserves right to respond

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“The recent terrorist acts by the Israeli regime violate our national security and sovereignty. We have the right to conduct legitimate defense, which has nothing to do with a ceasefire in Gaza.”

Iran reiterated on Friday that while implementing a ceasefire in Gaza is a priority, Tehran has the right to defend itself, according to the Mehr news agency.

In response to a question on whether Iran would postpone its response to Israel until next week’s Gaza ceasefire talks, Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations stressed that achieving a lasting ceasefire in Gaza is its top priority.

“Any agreement Hamas accepts, we will accept,” the delegation said.

Haniyeh assassination – Iranian investigation points to airborne shells

The delegation also claimed that recent Israeli actions violated Iran’s national security and sovereignty, which proved Iran’s legitimate right to defend itself, and clarified that this had nothing to do with the Gaza ceasefire discussions.

The Israeli delegation said: “The recent terrorist acts of the Israeli regime violate our national security and sovereignty. We have the right to conduct legitimate defense, which has nothing to do with a ceasefire in Gaza.”

However, the delegation expressed hope that their response would be timely and would not derail a potential ceasefire.

“We hope that our response will be completed in a timely manner and will not jeopardize a possible ceasefire,” the statement said.

Regarding communications between Iran and the United States, the Iranian delegation reportedly confirmed the existence of direct and intermediate official channels for information transmission, while noting that both sides prefer to keep the details confidential.

Ismail Haniyeh, a prominent Palestinian political leader and chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau, was assassinated in Tehran in an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday.

Haniyeh came to the Iranian capital to attend the inauguration ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Analysis of the reasons why Israel assassinated Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh

Iran’s Fars News Agency reported on August 1 that Haniyeh was killed by an air-fired shell that hit his residence, damaging the roof and windows.

The agency added that a preliminary investigation determined that Israel was responsible for the planning and execution of Haniyeh’s assassination.

The New York Times also reported that U.S. officials privately acknowledged Israel’s involvement in the assassination of Haniyeh in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Wednesday. Despite this, Israel has not publicly claimed responsibility and has declined to comment.

Senior Iranian officials vowed to respond appropriately, and the leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, warned that the Israeli regime’s assassination of Haniyeh would have serious consequences.

(Computers, more)