Mourners
carry the coffin of assassinated Hamas chief, Ismail Haniyeh during his
funeral ceremony in Tehran, Iran, August 1, 2024. Office of the Iranian
Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency) Handout via REUTERS/File
Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Iran says it does not want regional escalation but must 'punish' Israel
DUBAI,
Aug 5 (Reuters) - Iran is not looking to escalate regional tensions but
believes it needs to punish Israel to prevent further instability, the
foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, following the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week.
"Iran
seeks to establish stability in the region, but this will only come
with punishing the aggressor and creating deterrence against the
adventurism of the Zionist regime (Israel)," Nasser Kanaani said, adding
that action from Tehran was inevitable.
Kanaani
called on the United States to stop supporting Israel, saying the
international community had failed in its duty to safeguard stability in
the region and should support the "punishment of the aggressor."
Iran's
foreign ministry called in ambassadors and heads of missions residing
in Tehran for a meeting with acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani on
Monday to reiterate Iran's will to respond to Israel.
An
emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation will be
held on Wednesday at Iran's request to discuss the killing of Haniyeh
and Iran's response, said Kanaani.
Tehran and Iran-aligned groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah have accused Israel of killing Haniyeh
on July 31 in the Iranian capital. His death was one in a series of
killings of senior Hamas figures as the war in Gaza between Hamas and
Israel nears its 11th month.
Israeli officials have not claimed responsibility.
The
Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' top Commander Hossein Salami on
Monday repeated the elite group's threat that Israel "will receive
punishment in due time".
Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Ros Russell