Iran wont send forces to confront Israel
Iran’s foreign ministry said on September 30th that it will not deploy forces to Lebanon or Gaza to confront Israel, according to the Arab News.
“There is no need to send extra or volunteer forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani, who added that Lebanon and Palestine “have the capability and strength to defend themselves against the aggression.”
This comes as Israel has been striking targets linked to Iran’s self-styled “Axis of resistance,” across the region, a legion of Iran-backed groups, not just in Lebanon but also in Yemen.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed on September 27th – Iran has armed and funded the Lebanese group for decades.
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“We have not received any request in this regard from any side, on the contrary, we are informed and are sure that they do not need the help of our forces,” Kanani told reporters in Iran.
Nonetheless, the Iranian official vowed that Israel “will not remain without reprimand and punishment for the crimes it has committed against the Iranian people, military personnel and the resistance forces.”
On the same day, the Iranian government’s website said President Masoud Pezeshkian paid tribute to Nasrallah in a visit to Hezbollah’s office in Tehran.
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has claimed that Nasrallah’s death “will not be in vain,” while First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said the killing would help to bring about the “destruction,” of Israel.
READ: Lebanon could be seeing ‘largest displacement’ ever
Iran has also vowed to avenge the murder of Quds Force commander Abbas Nilforoushan. The Quds Force is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ foreign operations arm, who was also killed in the assassination of Nasrallah.
Arab News
