عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Wait for Iran’s Retaliation against Israel ‘Could Be Long’, Revolutionary Guards Spokesperson Says

A veiled Iranian woman walks past a wall painting of a peace bird in a street in Tehran, Iran, 19 August 2024. (EPA)
A veiled Iranian woman walks past a wall painting of a peace bird in a street in Tehran, Iran, 19 August 2024. (EPA)
TT
TT

Wait for Iran’s Retaliation against Israel ‘Could Be Long’, Revolutionary Guards Spokesperson Says

A veiled Iranian woman walks past a wall painting of a peace bird in a street in Tehran, Iran, 19 August 2024. (EPA)
A veiled Iranian woman walks past a wall painting of a peace bird in a street in Tehran, Iran, 19 August 2024. (EPA)

There could be a long wait for Iranian retaliation against Israel, Iran's Revolutionary Guards spokesperson Alimohammad Naini said on Tuesday.

The Middle East has been bracing for Iran's avowed retaliation over the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied that it was behind the killing.

"Time is in our favor and the waiting period for this response could be long," Naini said, referring to potential retaliation against Israel.

He said "the enemy" should wait for a calculated and accurate response.

Iranian leaders were weighing the circumstances and Tehran's response might not be a repeat of previous operations, he added, according to Iranian state media.

Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of carrying out the strike that killed Haniyeh hours after he attended the inauguration of Iran's new president Masoud Pezeshkian.

The United States has asked allies that have ties with Iran to persuade it to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the region to push for progress towards a Gaza ceasefire.

Naini said that Tehran supported any move that led to an end to the war in Gaza and helped its people, but added: "We do not consider the US actions sincere. We consider the US to be a party to the (Gaza) war."

Most Viewed

 
 
World

Pope Francis, Asked about Israeli Strikes, Slams Attacks That Go ‘Beyond Morality’

Pope Francis talks to journalists on the flight back to Rome at the end of his four-day visit to Belgium and Luxembourg, September 29, 2024. (Reuters)
Pope Francis talks to journalists on the flight back to Rome at the end of his four-day visit to Belgium and Luxembourg, September 29, 2024. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Pope Francis, Asked about Israeli Strikes, Slams Attacks That Go ‘Beyond Morality’

Pope Francis talks to journalists on the flight back to Rome at the end of his four-day visit to Belgium and Luxembourg, September 29, 2024. (Reuters)
Pope Francis talks to journalists on the flight back to Rome at the end of his four-day visit to Belgium and Luxembourg, September 29, 2024. (Reuters)

Pope Francis, asked on Sunday about Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as well as non-combatants, criticized military attacks that he said go "beyond morality".

On the flight back to Rome from Belgium, the pontiff said countries cannot go "over the top" in using their military forces. "Even in war there is a morality to safeguard," he said. "War is immoral. But the rules of war give it some morality."

Responding to a question during an in-flight press conference about Israel's latest strikes, the 87-year-old pope said: "Defense must always be proportionate to the attack. When there is something disproportionate, you see a tendency to dominate that goes beyond morality."

Francis, as leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, often makes calls for an end to violent conflicts, but is usually cautious about appearing to determine the aggressors. He has spoken more openly in recent weeks about Israel's military actions in its nearly year-long war against Hamas.

Last week, the pope said Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon were "unacceptable" and urged the international community to do everything possible to halt the fighting. In a Sept. 28 press conference, he decried the deaths of Palestinian children in Israeli strikes in Gaza.

Francis said on Sunday he speaks on the phone with members of a Catholic parish in Gaza "every day". He said the parishioners tell him about conditions on the ground, and "also the cruelty that is happening there".