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Diplomat: Iran doesn't seek to instigate war but prepared to defend itself

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Tue / 21 November 2023 / 11:10

Iran's United Nations envoy said Tehran is not seeking to instigate any regional wars and would only get involved in the Israel-Hamas conflict if its national security interest is threatened, but he warned that an increased US presence in the region leaves it more exposed to an attack.

Tehran (ISNA) - Iran's permanent representative to the UN, Saeid Iravani, told Al-Monitor that a beefed up American military presence in the Middle East is not a deterrent for Iran to enter the war if need be.

Iravani said that Washington's increased military posture in the region, boosting allies' missile defenses, dispatching aircraft carriers and a submarine, is not equivalent to deterrence.

"Surprisingly, military experts contend that when a military power positions its facilities and forces near a conflict zone, it signifies a display of strength without necessarily intending to engage in the conflict. This positioning can actually leave them exposed to potential harm and attacks," he said.

He also said the increased attacks in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon are evidence of how the "Resistance Front" operates "as an interconnected system with shared overarching objectives while maintaining independent national strategies."

For instance, he added, "During the fight against the ISIS, the Palestinian faction of the Resistance Front opted not to engage in combat against ISIS in Syria and Iraq as it did not align with their primary focus. This decision was acknowledged and accepted by other components of the 'Resistance Front,'" he argued.

He said that Tehran has no intention to instigate a war. "Pre-emptive war finds no place in the national defense doctrine of the Islamic Republic of Iran. However, the Iranian armed forces bear the responsibility of defending the nation whenever its national security or vital interests face threats from any external party or power. Iran does not seek to instigate any war but remains prepared to defend itself in response to varied threats, adapting its response according to the nature of the threat and the geographical context," he said.

Asked about a Reuters story last week that revealed that the Iranian leadership turned down a request from Hamas to lend a hand in the fight, Iravani repeated Iran's position against Israel as "an enduring threat not only to the Islamic world but also to the broader region and the globe," adding that Iran would continue to boost Hamas' support.

Iravani reiterated that Iran was neither involved in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel nor had prior knowledge of it despite Israeli allegations that Tehran was involved.

"The operation caught the occupying regime off guard, striking them unexpectedly," he said.

In the aftermath of the war, "the most viable and realistic solution would involve governance in Gaza by elected Palestinian leaders chosen by the people of Gaza themselves. Decisions about Gaza should be made autonomously by its residents, without external imposition or interference from other entities. No one has the right to take a decision on behalf of Gazans," Iravani concluded.

The Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York emphasized 21 points concerning their view of the Gaza war, including arguments that "defending Israel has become a costly endeavor" for the Washington and that Hamas has seen "increased support from the people of the West Bank" following the Oct. 7 attacks.

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