The Iranian government said it would “cut off the hands and feet” of anyone who attacked the country, in a veiled threat to Israel after the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah and an Iranian general in an attack targeted last Friday in Beirut.
“We will give a response that will be regrettable for those who violate our national interests and we will cut off the hands and feet of the aggressor,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Naser Kananí told a conference press.
The diplomat made the statements in response to journalists’ questions about Tehran’s possible reactions to the killing of Nasrallah and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Brigadier General Abbas Nilforushan in the attack on Hezbollah headquarters in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital.
“Iran will not leave unanswered any of the aggressive actions of the Zionist regime against the Islamic Republic and this regime will not go unpunished for the crimes it has committed against Iran,” Kananí added.
However, Tehran has not yet reacted to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on its territory at the end of July. Haniyeh was in the Iranian capital after attending the inauguration of the country’s new president, Massoud Pezeshkian, when an explosion in the room where he was staying ended his life.
This Monday, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also urged Islamic countries to take decisive action against Israel, which Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had already done two days ago. “Islamic countries have countless capacities to put pressure on and punish this regime,” he assured.
After the deaths of Nasrallah and Nilforushan, the Iranian government was more cautious than on other occasions, without issuing threats or hinting at direct responses. Instead, Khamenei and senior Revolutionary Guard officials emphasized that the so-called “Axis of Resistance” would respond to Israel. This axis is an informal alliance opposing both the Jewish state and the United States, led by Iran and composed of Hezbollah, the Palestinian group Hamas, the Houthis of Yemen and pro-Iranian militias in Iraq as well as in Syria.
