Iran Warns Israel Not to ‘Test Its Resolve,’ Says ‘Unacceptable’ for Gulf Arabs to Assist Jewish State
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi looks on before a meeting with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in Tehran, Iran, Aug. 26, 2024. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Israel “not to test Iran’s resolve” as the Jewish state continued to discuss plans to strike its arch foe, saying any attack on the Islamic Republic would be met with harsh retaliation.
“We tell the Zionist regime [Israel] not to test Iran’s resolve, as any attack on Iran will be met with an even stronger response than before,” Araghchi was quoted in Iranian media as saying at a conference in Tehran on Tuesday titled, “Al-Aqsa Flood; The Beginning of Nasrallah.”
The conference was held one year after Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel, which the Palestinian terrorist group named “Al-Aqsa Flood.” The title of the gathering also referenced Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah who was killed in an Israeli airstrike last month.
Iran is the chief international backer of Hamas and Hezbollah, providing both Islamist terrorist groups with weapons, funding, and training.
Araghchi’s comments came after Israeli leaders vowed to respond following Iran’s recent missile attack on Israel.
Last week, Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel, forcing the Jewish state’s entire civilian population to take cover in bomb shelters. According to the Israeli military, there was one fatality from the barrage: a Palestinian man from Gaza who was killed by falling fuselage from an intercepted missile while in the West Bank village of Nu’eima, near Jericho.
Israel has said it will respond in a strong way, leading observers to speculate that the Jewish state may target Iran’s oil or nuclear facilities.
“Whoever attacks us will be hurt and will pay a price,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a video issued by his office, describing Iran’s missile barrage as a failure. “Our attack will be deadly, precise, and above all surprising. They will not understand what happened and how it happened; they will see the results.”
As Iran prepares for a potential Israeli attack, it has told Gulf Arab states it would be “unacceptable” if they allowed Israel to use their airspace or military bases against Tehran.
“Iran made it clear that any action by a Persian Gulf country against Tehran, whether through the use of airspace or military bases, will be regarded by Tehran as an action taken by the entire group, and Tehran will respond accordingly,” a senior Iranian official told Reuters.
“The message emphasized the need for regional unity against Israel and the importance of securing stability,” the official reportedly added. “It also made clear that any assistance to Israel, such as allowing the use of a regional country’s airspace for actions against Iran, is unacceptable.”
Iran’s warning came as Araqchi visited Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states including Qatar for talks on Wednesday. Araghchi met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and discussed regional developments, according to the Saudi state news agency.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone on Wednesday and were expected to discuss Israeli plans for a retaliatory strike on Iran.
The Biden administration has expressed support for Israel taking military action to respond to Iran’s attack but has called for Jerusalem to avoid taking steps that would risk escalating the situation into a wider conflict.
