Image Source: Le Monde
Tehran – According to Reuters, Iranian officials are set to meet with their regional allies to discuss a potential response following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the killing of Hezbollah senior commander Fuad Shukr in an Israeli strike in Beirut.
Although it is unclear who was responsible for Haniyeh’s assassination, many within the Axis of Resistance suspect Israel and its Western allies. Regardless of who was behind the attack in Tehran, Professor Seyed Mohammed Marandi from the University of Tehran anticipates an imminent and decisive retaliation from the Iranian government, with Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah issuing similar warnings.
“Iran will definitely retaliate because this individual was not only a guest but a hero to the cause of the resistance. He was one of the leaders of a people that are being battered and facing genocide and starvation, with Western support and the support of Western regimes across Europe, North America, and of course Australia and New Zealand.”
“Iran will punish the regime in Tel Aviv. They will strike hard, and it will not be far off. I assume it will probably be within the next few days or a week or two at most, but Iran will punish the regime.”
The killings of these two leaders have ignited fears and concerns of a broader regional conflict between Iran and Israel. Despite the threats of retaliation from Iran and Hezbollah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Thursday that Israel was fully prepared to respond to any acts of aggression.
“Israel is at a very high level of preparation for any scenario, both defensive and offensive. We will make any act of aggression against us pay a very high price.”
Professor Marandi believes that by assassinating the Hamas leader on Iranian soil, the Israeli regime is seeking to provoke such an escalation. He points to Netanyahu’s rhetoric, incitement, and provocation against Iran as precise indicators of Israel’s intentions.
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The Inaction of Arab States in the Face of the Genocide in Gaza and Occupation of Palestine
Given the relatively neutral stance that many Middle Eastern governments have adopted regarding the genocide in Gaza and the occupation of the Palestinian people, Professor Marandi argues that Iran, along with Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq, are the only nations in the region actively supporting Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation.
Their steadfast commitment to the Palestinian cause starkly contrasts with other Arab states, which offer only rhetorical support. Even this limited backing is undermined by their ongoing efforts to maintain good relations with Israel.
“These are the countries that are supporting the resistance. At most, we can say Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. Beyond that, in the region, no one supports the resistance. Turkey doesn’t support the resistance.”
“Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, and Egypt also do not support the resistance. I should say that Algeria politically and South Africa are supporting the resistance. However, in the countries surrounding Palestine, the resistance constitutes those entities.”
Due to their inaction and passive stance towards the ongoing genocide and illegal occupation, Professor Marandi believes that the Palestinians’ only hope in the region lies with Iran and the Axis of Resistance.
“I’m optimistic about the future, although I think that we will have tough days ahead … I think people should increasingly boycott Western goods and products and spread the word across the South and in the West itself that the West is fighting against humanity and human dignity.”
“It’s carrying out a Holocaust in Gaza. This is not an Israeli Holocaust; this is a holocaust being carried out by the collective West, and the Islamic Republic of Iran is determined to stop it.
