MOSCOW: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated on Friday that Israel must “stop killing innocent people,” asserting that its actions in the Middle East are supported by the United States and the European Union.
Pezeshkian made these remarks while speaking to a Russian state TV reporter during an international meeting in Turkmenistan.
In recent weeks, Israel has intensified its military operations against Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, including the targeted killing of its top leaders, the deployment of ground troops into southern Lebanon, and airstrikes on Beirut. An Israeli strike late Thursday in central Beirut killed at least 22 people and injured over 100, according to Lebanese authorities.
Israel claims that its operations in Lebanon aim to enable tens of thousands of residents to return home after being displaced due to Hezbollah rocket fire over the past year. Hezbollah has retaliated against Israel in support of Hamas, which launched an attack on southern Israeli communities on October 7, triggering Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza.
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Pezeshkian condemned Israel’s actions, stating, “I would like to say to Israel: stop killing innocent people. Stop bombing residential buildings, people who have nothing anyway.”
He accused Israel of violating numerous international agreements and emphasized, “It does this because it knows that the US and the European Union are behind it.”
The Middle East remains on high alert for further escalation, particularly in light of Israel’s awaiting response to an Iranian missile strike on October 1.
