Iran’s Foreign Ministry has dismissed the de-escalation call from France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
In a joint statement, the three European powers urged Tehran and its allies to refrain from attacks against Israel that would further escalate tensions and jeopardise the chances of a ceasefire in Gaza.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanaani noted in a statement, “The declaration by France, Germany, and Britain, which did not object to the international crimes of the Zionist regime, brazenly asks Iran to take no deterrent action against a regime which has violated its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
He added that “such a request lacks political logic, flies in the face of the principles and rules of international law, and constitutes public and practical support” for Israel.
Kanaani asserted that Tehran is determined to deter Israel in response to France, Germany and the UK’s call for de-escalation in the region.
He called on Paris, Berlin and London to “once and for all stand up against the war in Gaza and the warmongering of Israel”.
US Says Iran’s Attack On Israel Likely To Be This Week
According to the White House, an attack from Iran or its proxies on Israel could be “this week.”
This mirrors statements from the Israeli government which said a strike was increasingly likely.
“We have to be prepared for what could be a significant set of attacks,” White House National Security Adviser, John Kirby said, adding “which is why we have increased our force posture and capabilities in the region even in just the last few days.”
“We share the same concerns and expectations that our Israeli counterparts have with respect to potential timing here. Could be this week,” Kirby told reporters.
“We obviously don’t want to see Israel have to defend itself against another onslaught, like they did in April. But, if that’s what comes at them, we will continue to help them defend themselves.”
John Kirby
Kirby’s comments came as the United States is rushing an aircraft carrier strike group and a guided missile submarine to the region in a show of support for Israel.
The US on Sunday announced it had ordered the deployment of the USS Georgia, a nuclear-powered, guided-missile submarine, to the Middle East, amid mounting concern over the determination by Iran and its proxies to retaliate for the assassination of Hamas’s political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran.
Israel has been braced for a major attack since last month when a missile killed 12 youngsters in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Israel responded by killing a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut.
A day after that operation, Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, was assassinated in Tehran, drawing Iranian vows of retaliation against Israel.
Iran and its allies are expected to respond to Israel militarily after the killing of senior members of Hezbollah and Hamas in Lebanon and Iran consecutively.
Meanwhile, Western diplomats have scrambled to avert a major conflagration in the Middle East, where tensions were already high due to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
According to the US Ambassador to Ankara, Washington wants Turkey and other allies that have ties with Iran to persuade it to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East.
“They are doing what they can to make sure that it doesn’t escalate,” Ambassador Jeff Flake said of Washington’s Turkish interlocutors, adding that they “seem more confident than we are that it won’t escalate”.
Flake said that the Gaza situation had been “very difficult”, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rhetoric against Israel making it difficult for Turkey to play a role as an interlocutor.
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