News - Middle East: Iran’s Interim Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani says the martyrdom of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, has strengthened the resistance front in Palestine and across the region.

“While Mr. Haniyeh's martyrdom is a loss for the resistance, it has strengthened the resistance front in Palestine and the region. The entire Islamic world condemned this criminal assassination,” he said on Tuesday as he visited the office of Hamas in Tehran.

Bagheri paid tribute to Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran on Wednesday in an operation designed and carried out by the Israeli regime. He said Haniyeh’s martyrdom on Iranian soil has further strengthened the "bond and solidarity" between the Palestinians and the Iranian nation.

He noted that Haniyeh was a “child of resistance” whose many scarifies helped reinforce the Palestinian cause.

“The message from the martyrdom and the grand public funeral of Haniyeh in Tehran is that we and you are one, and this solidarity in resistance against occupation and aggression is stronger than ever,” the top diplomat added.

Noting that Haniyeh’s assassination on Iranian soil was a blatant violation of international laws, he asserted that Iran reserves the right to respond to this act of aggression in defense of its “national security and sovereignty” and to ensure peace and stability in the region.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran will give a decisive and effective response to this criminal act by the Zionist regime,” he said.

Bagheri further emphasized that Iran will leverage all legal, political, and media resources at its disposal to safeguard the country's rights and national interests in this matter.

These efforts, he said, include a request for emergency meetings of the United Nations Security Council and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation as well as diplomatic consultations with foreign countries to clarify Iran's position.  

Bagheri assured Hamas that the "flag of freedom" raised by the Palestinian people will remain aloft, promising that the Iranian government and nation will spare no effort in supporting the Palestinian cause because “our cause and goal is one and the same.”

“This is a testament to the dignity and struggle of our fighters, and hopefully, this Islamic awakening will lead to the destruction of Israel,” he said.

During the visit, Khaled Qaddoumi, Hamas’s representative in Iran, expressed gratitude for the Islamic Republic’s support for the Palestinian resistance, especially over the loss of their political leader.

He emphasized that “Gaza is a symbol of humanity,” noting how global solidarity and support for the Palestinian people has increased since the war on Gaza began.

He cited widespread protests in the United States and the West, where even Jews have openly declared that Israel does not represent them.

Source: Press TV