Tehran does not seek to escalate the conflict in the Middle East but nevertheless intends to strike back at Israel for its “crimes and impudence,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said.
His comments come after Ismail Hamiyeh, one of the key figures of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, was murdered while visiting the Iranian capital last week. Iran and the group have blamed Israel for the assassination and vowed revenge. The Jewish State has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in the plot.
During a meeting with Russia’s Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu in Tehran on Monday, Pezeshkian stressed that Iran “does not seek to expand the scale of the war and crisis in the region,” as cited by Tasnim News Agency. However, he insisted that the Israeli “regime will definitely answer for its crimes and its impudence.”
The Iranian president also thanked Russia for the continued support it has shown the Palestinian people, and stressed the need to further develop Iranian-Russian relations. Shoigu agreed and described Tehran as one of Moscow’s key strategic allies.
Meanwhile, Israel and the US have reportedly been bracing for an imminent Iranian attack in response to Tehran’s threats, according to an Axios report, which has claimed that the Biden administration believes an attack will occur within a matter of days. Citing two unnamed US officials, the outlet stated that the Israeli military has been put on high alert while US forces have increased their presence in the region.
Israel could be preparing to launch a “preemptive strike” on Iran if it receives conclusive intelligence that Tehran is certain to attack, local media reported on Monday. According to the Times of Israel, the option has already been discussed at a high-level security meeting attended by the country’s defense and intelligence chiefs.
In the meantime, Washington has been urging its allies to discourage Tehran from escalating tensions in the region. If the Jewish State is attacked, the US has vowed to defend its partner. On Saturday, the US Defense Department announced that Washington had deployed more destroyers, cruisers and an additional fighter jet squadron to the region.