Iran’s new president on Tuesday continued doubling down on Israel seeking a wider war in the Middle East, calling on the international community to “bring about a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and bring an end to the desperate barbarism of Israel in Lebanon.”
Masoud Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon and reformer, made his debut on the international stage at this week’s annual gathering of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly, just as Israel steps up attacks on Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.
“Naturally blind Israeli state terrorism over the past few days in Lebanon, followed by a massive aggression with thousands of victims, cannot go unanswered. The responsibility for all consequences will be borne by those governments who have thwarted all global efforts to end this horrific catastrophe and have the audacity to call themselves ‘champions of human rights,’” he said.
Pezeshkian also accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza by attacking schools, hospitals and homes – he defended Iran’s support for the Palestinians.
Israel’s nearly year-long retaliation has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.
“Israel has been defeated in Gaza. And no amount of barbaric violence can restore its myth of invincibility,” he said.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran seeks to safeguard its own security, not to create insecurity for others. We want peace for all and seek no war or quarrel with anyone,” he later added.
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon told reporters Tuesday that Israel’s military strikes in Lebanon were necessary actions to protect Israeli civilians.
Danon said nearly 9,000 missiles had been fired into Israel from Lebanese territory since Oct. 7th. He said the military conducted precise missile strikes against Hezbollah’s launch points and missile stores in southern Lebanon.
Israel’s military says it will do “whatever is necessary” to push Hezbollah away from Lebanon’s border with Israel. Danon reiterated that stance at the U.N. “We prefer a diplomatic solution, ” Danon said. “We are using other methods to show to the other side that we mean business.”
Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire since the Israel-Hamas war began. On Monday, Israel launched hundreds of airstrikes in southern and eastern Lebanon, killing nearly 500 people and wounding more than 1,600 others.