DAMASCUS: Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, warned on Saturday of an “even stronger” response to any future Israeli aggression, as tensions escalate following an Iranian missile strike at Israel earlier this week.
Speaking in Damascus after meetings with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and other top officials, Araghchi emphasized Iran’s readiness to retaliate against any Israeli action. “Our reaction to any attack by the Zionist regime is completely clear. For every action, there will be a proportional and similar reaction from Iran, and even stronger,” he told reporters.
The remarks come amid heightened tensions in the region, as Israel prepares a military response to what it described as an “unprecedented and unlawful” missile attack launched by Iran. An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Israel was “preparing a response,” though no specific details were provided.
Araghchi’s visit to Syria, his first since taking office in August, comes as the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza rages on, nearly a year after Hamas launched an attack on Israel. Meanwhile, Iran’s ally Hezbollah in Lebanon has also been involved in fighting against Israeli forces.
The Iranian Foreign Minister called for an immediate ceasefire in both Gaza and Lebanon.
“The most important issue today is the ceasefire, especially in Lebanon and in Gaza,” Araghchi said in Damascus, noting that diplomatic efforts to broker a truce were underway. “There are initiatives in this regard. There have been consultations that we hope will be successful.”
Araghchi’s visit to Syria followed a stop in Beirut on Friday, where he reiterated Iran’s support for a ceasefire in Lebanon that is acceptable to Hezbollah, while also calling for a simultaneous truce in Gaza.
Israel has stated that the airstrikes were intended to disrupt the flow of weapons to Hezbollah from Syria, as the Israeli military steps up its campaign against the Lebanese group.
Earlier on Saturday, Assad’s office released a statement praising Iran’s missile strike on Israel, describing it as “a strong response that taught the Zionist entity a lesson.” The missile attack followed an Israeli airstrike in southern Beirut last week that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, further inflaming tensions between Israel and its regional adversaries.
