Iran signals potential retaliation over assassination of Hamas leader

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi communicated to his French and British counterparts on August 23 that while Iran does not seek to escalate the regional conflict, it reserves the right to retaliate against Israel for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Araghchi spoke separately with French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

During his conversation with Lammy, Araghchi addressed the situation in Gaza and was urged to contribute to de-escalating regional tensions.

In his discussion with Séjourné, Araghchi condemned the killing of Haniyeh as an "unforgivable violation" of Iran's sovereignty and national security, asserting Iran's right to respond.

The recent tensions follow a series of retaliatory threats from Iran and Hezbollah against Israel, which began last month after the assassination of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Haniyeh’s killing, an act for which Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility.

The conflict, ongoing for ten months, erupted on October 7 last year when Hamas-led militants launched a major attack on Israel from Gaza, resulting in significant casualties and hostages.

Araghchi, who assumed his role on August 22, previously served as Iran's chief nuclear negotiator and played a pivotal role in the 2015 nuclear agreement. However, the deal unravelled in 2018 after the US withdrew, leading to increased Iranian breaches and unsuccessful revival efforts since 2022.