Image Source: News Week
Pretoria – Iran’s Deputy Ambassador to South Africa, Mehdi Salehi, stated that if Israel retaliates against Iran, the country is fully prepared to respond with even greater force. He also cautioned that any additional aggression from the Zionist regime, which Israeli officials have threatened, would prompt a far more severe and dangerous response from Iran.
Though Iran is not seeking further conflict or a broader war in the region, Salehi emphasised that they will firmly defend their sovereignty and people against any threat.
“We don’t want war in the region, and this message should be understood by the enemies, especially the Zionist regime. They should realise that according to international law, it is our legitimate right to act with determination and deterrence.”
Last week, Iran fired over 180 missiles at Israel, which many saw as a measured response to ongoing assassinations, aggression and international violations by the Israeli military in the region.
While Western leaders and media portrayed Iran as the aggressor, Salehi emphasised that this move was purely defensive and carried out within the bounds of self-defence as outlined in the UN charter.
He pointed out that, unlike the Zionist regime, Iran’s strikes were carefully aimed at military and intelligence targets, intentionally steering clear of civilian areas.
“We have targets and respond to aggressive activities. Our targeting focuses only on military and intelligence bases, not civilian targets. We avoid attacking other places because it’s not moral. We only respond to certain military and intelligence bases in the territory.”
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Iran’s Support for Resistance Groups
Since the beginning of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its decades-long occupation of Palestine, the United States and its European allies have been complicit, providing unwavering financial, military, and diplomatic support to the Zionist regime. In doing so, they have also unjustly labeled certain resistance movements, much like they historically did with the ANC, as terrorist organizations, further reinforcing the occupation.
These designations of resistance groups by Western powers aim to delegitimise the struggles of groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, which many in the region, including Iran, view as legitimate resistance movements fighting for the rights and sovereignty of the Palestinian and Lebanese people.
As such, the West has used Iran’s support for these groups as a pretext to justify their opposition and actions against Iran. However, Salehi emphasised that Iran’s support is not merely based on political alliances but stems from a moral responsibility to defend justice and the rights of the oppressed.
For Iran, backing these movements reflects a broader commitment to fighting injustice, much like its historical role in supporting global liberation efforts. While Iran firmly stands with Palestinian resistance, Salehi made it clear that the ultimate goal remains justice for those living under occupation and the pursuit of lasting peace in the region.
“Of course, we support them politically and spiritually, and we believe they have the right to self-determination. They have the right to live freely in their territorial land, in Lebanon and Palestine. We believe in supporting their freedom and justice. Not only from a religious perspective but also from our moral duty to support them.”
“It’s clear that, for instance, when there was a struggle here [South Africa] against racism and apartheid, we supported the leaders and other groups because we felt it was the correct path. We support them because we are human beings who stand for the rights of all human beings.”
