Iran has condemned the Israeli strikes on Beirut, calling them a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei made this known in a statement on Saturday.
“The excuses made by the Zionist regime for justifying the aggression against Lebanon are totally baseless and unjustifiable,” Baqaei said.
He also called on the international community to “make decisive plans to counter the occupying regime’s constant law-breaking in the region—from Gaza to Lebanon and Syria—and the regime’s growing threats against international peace and security.”
The Israeli military carried out several airstrikes on southern Beirut on Friday after a rocket attack was launched at Israel from southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah has denied involvement in the incident and has not responded to the Israeli assaults.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, has declined a proposal from U.S. President Donald Trump to engage in renewed nuclear negotiations, reinforcing Tehran’s long-standing position against direct talks with Washington.
Last week, former President Donald Trump announced he’d sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, proposing nuclear talks. The delivery, however, took an unexpected route. On Wednesday, the letter was handed to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi by Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, rather than through typical diplomatic channels.
At the same time, Khamenei was speaking to a group of university students, calling Trump’s offer a calculated move to sway global opinion. “We spent years negotiating, signed a deal, and then he tore it apart,” Khamenei said, referring to Trump’s 2018 decision to pull the U.S. out of the 2015 nuclear agreement. “How can you negotiate with someone who doesn’t keep their word? If they won’t stick to it, why bother?”
