TEHRAN – The Iranian acting foreign minister has affirmed Iran's intent to exercise its legitimate right to respond to and punish the "criminal Zionist gang."

Ali Baqeri Kani engaged in a detailed telephone conversation with Josep Borrell, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs on Friday, to discuss the serious repercussions of the recent assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement. 

He emphasized that Haniyeh’s assassination in Tehran not only breached Iran's territorial integrity and national sovereignty but also jeopardized peace and stability both regionally and internationally.

During the call, Baqeri Kani outlined the profound political and security consequences of the assassination, highlighting that it constituted a grave violation of Iran's national security and threatened regional stability. 

He pointed out that Enrique Mora, representing the European Union, had been present at the inauguration ceremony of Iran’s president, which further underscored the gravity of the act. 

Baqeri Kani referred to the emergency session of the United Nations Security Council requested by Iran, expressing disappointment over the actions of certain European countries that, alongside the United States, had obstructed the Security Council from officially condemning Haniyeh's assassination. 

He criticized the complicity and silence of these nations regarding Israeli aggression in Yemen and Lebanon, arguing that such stances embolden Israel to continue its aggressive policies, thereby threatening regional peace and stability.

In his response, Josep Borrell emphasized the European Union’s recognition of Iran’s right to defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty. 

He shared concerns about the escalating tensions and the potential for a broader conflict, which could have severe repercussions for the people in the region. 

Concluding the conversation, Baqeri Kani urged the European Union to take decisive action to maintain international peace and security. He called on the EU to exert pressure on Israel to halt its ongoing aggressive actions, warning that failure to do so would encourage further warmongering by the Israeli regime, thereby endangering regional and international peace, stability, and security. 

Acting FM tells UN chief Iran will punish 'criminal Zionists'

During a telephone conversation with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday, a day after Haniyeh was assassinated, Ali Baqeri Kani condemned the act as a violation of Iran’s territorial integrity and a threat to regional and international peace.

"The Zionist regime’s terrorist act of assassinating Haniyeh in Tehran did not only violate the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of the Islamic Republic but also endangered regional and international peace and stability," he stated. 

Baqeri Kani emphasized Iran’s right to take reciprocal action. “Iran will not forgo its inherent right to defend itself and take reciprocal action to punish the criminal Zionists,” he stressed. 

Baqeri Kani also called for an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to address the incident and formulate a collective response. He criticized the UN Security Council, noting that the United States and European nations had blocked efforts to officially denounce Haniyeh's assassination. 

‘Iran determined to respond decisively to Israel's actions’

In a conversation with Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, Baqeri Kani emphasized Iran's determination to respond decisively to Israel's actions. 

He thanked Algeria for supporting the call for a Security Council meeting to address Israel’s terrorist acts. 

Attaf condemned the assassination as a violation of Iran’s sovereignty and stressed the Algerian government and people’s strong condemnation of the Zionist regime's crime on Iranian soil.

‘Zionists expanded Gaza crimes to Beirut, Tehran’

During a separate phone call with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Baqeri Kani vowed that Iran would bring the “notorious and criminal” Israeli regime to justice. 

“The Zionists have caused bloodshed in Gaza in the past 10 months, and now they have expanded the scope of their crimes to Beirut, Tehran, and Yemen,” he said. 

Safadi condemned the Israeli crime as a violation of Iran’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity, calling for efforts to prevent the expansion of the Gaza war.

‘Iran will use its legitimate right to retaliate’

In a separate phone call with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi, Baqeri Kani stated that Israel had posed grave risks to regional stability and security by violating Iran's territorial integrity. 

“Iran will, therefore, exercise its inherent and legitimate right to take countermeasures and duly punish the Zionist regime,” he said. 

Busaidi condemned the assassination and supported Iran’s call for an emergency OIC meeting to address the situation.

Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iran's newly-elected President Masoud Pezeshkian when he was killed alongside his bodyguard. 

Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has vowed harsh retaliation against Israel, framing the incident as an attack on Iran’s dignity and sovereignty. 

Lavrov condemned Haniyeh’s assassination in phone call with Baqeri Kani

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov denounced the assassination as unacceptable, warning of its extremely dangerous consequences. 

In a telephone conversation with Baqeri Kani, both sides condemned the killing and noted the dangerous repercussions of such actions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and regional stability. 

Lavrov criticized the assassination as an attempt to derail peace negotiations concerning Gaza and called upon all parties to avoid further destabilization.

Iran has repeatedly reiterated its commitment to defending its national integrity and supporting the Palestinian cause, urging the international community to address the heightened tensions and prevent further escalation in the region.