Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf Photo: IRNA
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf has responded to Israel’s threats against Tehran’s nuclear programme, saying they have no real basis. “These are nothing more than empty words,” Qalibaf, a former general, said in response to journalists’ questions in Tehran, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that after reaching a truce in the conflict with Lebanon, the country would be able to focus on the confrontation with Iran.
The Hezbollah militia, considered Iran’s most powerful non-state ally, is a key player in this conflict. The Iranian Foreign Ministry welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghraei said that now is the time to step up efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as well.
Against the backdrop of escalation between Israel and Iran, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in Lisbon that Tehran reserves the right to respond to the air strike in late October. At the same time, Iran is taking into account regional developments, in particular the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon.
Such statements demonstrate that the regional conflict, although temporarily stagnant, could escalate into a large-scale crisis again.
