Iran UN mission says punishing Israel for Haniyeh assassination, Gaza ceasefire among Tehran’s priorities

The Iranian Mission at the UN headquarters in New York issued the statement on Wednesday while responding to a question that whether Tehran would reverse its plan to take revenge on Israel for its violation of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity if Hamas reached a ceasefire deal with the Zionist regime.

We have pursued two priorities simultaneously: first, establishing a durable ceasefire in Gaza and the withdrawal of the occupiers from this territory; second, punishing the aggressor for assassinating Haniyeh, preventing the recurrence of the Israeli regime’s terrorist aggression, and making the Zionists regret embarking on such a trajectory, the statement read.

Hamas and Iran have accused Israel for Haniyeh’s killing in Tehran last week. Iran has promised to retaliate, threatening “harsh punishment” for Israel. But the United States and other Western countries have been calling for de-escalation.

Haniyeh’s assassination came amid the regime’s October-present war on Gaza, which has so far claimed the lives of at least 39,600 Palestinians, mostly women, children and adolescents.