TEHRAN – Mohammad Javad Zarif, a close aide to new president Masoud Pezeshkian and former foreign minister, has strongly condemned the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas, and urged international intervention to stop Israeli crimes.

"As the world is silently watching Israel's genocide and repeated acts of international terrorism and aggression, Netanyahu is pushing the region and the world to the brink of catastrophe," Zarif wrote in a post on his X social media account on Wednesday, hours after Haniyeh was assassinated in an attack on his residence in the Iranian capital of Tehran. 

Zarif criticized the U.S. and EU, suggesting they should now recognize that "Netanyahu's survival is contingent upon death and destruction." 

He highlighted the recent assassination of Haniyeh, describing him as a "tireless champion of the Palestinian people's liberation from Israeli occupation." 

Zarif called the act “cowardly” and vowed that it would only strengthen Palestinians’ resolve to defend their territory and support the Palestinian fight for freedom.

"It is high time for the West to stop shielding Netanyahu's madness and join the world in ending his suicidal chaos," Zarif asserted, emphasizing the urgent need for global action to prevent further escalation and promote peace in the region.