Abdullahian: The Palestinian factions did not ask us to intervene in the war
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said in a press release on Saturday that Tehran had not received a request from Palestinian factions to go to war, as Iranian leader Ali Khamenei’s office ended its silence on the statements attributed to him when he received the head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement, earlier this month, regarding Iran’s failure to directly enter the war; Because she was not informed of the attack of October 7th before it happened.
The Khatat Hezbollah weekly, published by Khamenei’s office, said a report published by Reuters about what happened in the meeting between Khamenei and Haniyeh “basically lied.”
“Hezbollah Line” reported that “while the guide, during the meeting with Ismail Haniyeh, emphasized the permanent policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Reuters claimed, in a fundamentally false report, that the guide accused Haniyeh of failing to inform Iran of the attack. , and that he did not “foresee Iran going to war.”
The Hamas movement denied the contents of the report on Thursday morning and said in a statement: “We regret publishing unfounded reports and ask the agency to investigate the accuracy.”
The agency reported on Wednesday, citing three Iranian and Hamas officials familiar with the discussions, that Khamenei had told Haniyeh that his country would not go to war, on behalf of Hamas, which had not informed the Iran of the October 7 attack. According to the sources, Khamenei said that Iran, which has long supported Hamas, will continue to provide its political and moral support to the movement, but without interfering directly.
A Hamas official told Reuters that Khamenei urged Haniyeh to silence voices calling for Iran and its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, to join the battle against Israel with all their might.
The denial from Khamenei’s office came after Revolutionary Guards media published a letter from foreign operations officer Ismail Qaani to the commander of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Muhammad al-Deif, on Thursday, without indicating the date of the attack. the letter.
In the letter, Qaani states that the “axis of resistance” supports the “Hamas” movement in its war with Israel in Gaza. And he added: “We reassure you, we will do everything necessary in this historic battle.”
Iranian-American Messages
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian told the British newspaper Financial Times that the Palestinian factions “never asked Iran to go to war.” He said: “They have everything, they produce missiles and drones … and the ability to produce military equipment.”
He did not rule out the possibility of a long-term conflict, saying the “real confrontation” in the war between Hamas and Israel has only begun in recent days. He said this “could be useful for armed groups fighting guerrilla style”. He added: “I can say clearly, given the information we have, and after meetings with leaders in the region, that the fate of this war will be determined by the resistance factions.”
He stressed that Tehran has informed the United States, through diplomatic channels, that it “does not want the war to expand”, adding that “regional conflict is inevitable if Israeli attacks continue”, speaking of the exchange of Iranian-American messages . through the Swiss embassy, which sponsors American interests in Iran. . He ruled out direct negotiations, explaining that Tehran responded to the messages by saying: “If the crimes in Gaza are not stopped, then any possibility is possible.”
He denied that armed groups in Iraq and Syria, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Houthi group, were “forces fighting on behalf of Tehran.” He warned that these groups “are not indifferent to the killing of Muslims and Arabs in Palestine.”
Hit Iran
Abdullahian said: “The United States did not threaten to strike Iran if (Hezbollah) launched a global attack on Israel,” warning that Washington’s messages to Hezbollah about restraint “will fail to make it cautious in making its decisions ”. He expressed his belief that “the war has already spread to the region.” In reference to armed operations carried out by armed groups loyal to Iran.
On October 25, President Biden said he warned Khamenei that the United States would respond if American forces continued to be targeted. Biden said in a press conference: “My warning to the Ayatollah is that if they continue to move against those forces, we will respond and he must prepare himself.” “He has nothing to do with Israel.”
Abdullahian said: “Our military officials believe that the deployment of American aircraft carriers near our region, which facilitates access to them, is not a strength for the United States, but rather makes it more vulnerable to potential attacks “, noting that the United States struck a facility near Albukamal. It had been “previously used by Iranian military advisors, but at the time of the attack the location was devoid of Iranian forces or supplies.” He said: “No Iranian forces were attacked. Otherwise, Iran’s response would have been harsh.”
Abdullahian Responsibilities
Meanwhile, Mohammad Hosseini, Iran’s vice president for parliamentary affairs, expressed regret over the impeachment of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, due to what some officials described as a “change” in Iranian rhetoric regarding the hostility with Israel.
Hosseini said the liability, at a time when Parliament is studying a proposed seven-year development programme, “does not make sense”. He added: “The Presidency of Parliament has not received a request to hold the minister accountable.”
The government agency ISNA quoted Hosseini as saying: “Raising these issues in light of the current conditions is deplorable.” He continued: “The government plays a role in supporting the Palestinian people.” He said: “Raising Abdullahian’s responsibility in such situations means that there is no correct analysis of the problems of the region and the world.”
A member of the Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy, Mahmoud Abbaszadeh Meshkini, said he had filed a request to hold Abdullahian accountable, due to what he described as “negative” and “negligent” positions towards the issue of Gaza by Raisi’s government. “I believe the diplomatic apparatus could have acted more decisively, effectively and intelligently,” Meshkini told the Didban Iran website.
Mishkini said: “The attacks launched by the Houthi group against Israeli commercial ships were within the framework of the Iranian leader’s statements.” In reference to Khamenei’s call earlier this month to cut trade and oil routes to Israel.