Iran says it doesn't seek regional war but will definitely respond to Israel’s killing of Hamas chief

By Anadolu staff

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed Monday that his country does not seek the spread of war in the region but will respond to Israel’s crimes, in particular the assassination of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas’s political chief, Ismail Haniyeh.

Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran on July 31 after attending Pezeshkian’s swearing-in ceremony.

Hamas and Iran have accused Israel of carrying out Haniyeh’s assassination, while Tel Aviv has neither denied nor confirmed its responsibility.

Pezeshkian made the statement during his meeting in Tehran with Sergei Shoygu, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, the Iranian state news agency IRNA reported.

He told Shoygu that Israel seeks to ignite the region through its assassination of Haniyeh and its other crimes against Palestinians.

He stressed that Iran never seeks to escalate tensions and trigger a war in the region, but Israel will "definitely receive a response to its crimes."

Shoygu also met earlier with his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Ahmadian and discussed relations between their countries.

Iran and Russia are close allies who have bolstered bilateral ties in recent years amid growing tensions with the US.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar