Iran has firmly rejected calls from Britain and other Western nations to avoid retaliatory action against Israel following the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month. The rejection comes amid growing international efforts to reduce tension.
In a rare telephone conversation on Monday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to “give up his constant threats of a military strike.” However, Pezeshkian responded that retaliation was a “way to stop crime” and that it was Iran’s “legal right,” according to Iranian state media.
In response to the escalating tensions, Israel has raised its military alert level. The United States has warned of a possible “significant set of attacks” by Iran or its allies and has increased its military presence in the Middle East to protect Israel. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon has also threatened retaliation following the death of one of its top commanders in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.
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On Monday evening, the leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Germany issued a joint statement urging Iran and its allies to “refrain from attacks that could further escalate regional tensions.” Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stressed that any action leading to further conflict would be detrimental to peace and stability.
Prime Minister Starmer later expressed his concerns directly to President Pezeshkian, in the first such call since March 2021. Starmer warned of the “serious risk of miscalculation” and urged “calm and careful consideration”, stressing that war is in no one’s interest.
In response, Iran’s state-run Irna news agency reported Pezeshkian’s stance that Western support for Israel had encouraged more “atrocities” and endangered peace and security. Pezeshkian argued that while war is not beneficial, responding to aggression is a legal right and a necessary measure to prevent further crimes and aggression.
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