Wed Sep 25 07:42:31 UTC 2024: ## Iran Warns of Retaliation for Hamas Leader’s Assassination, Blames US for Gaza Conflict
**New York, IRNA** – Iran’s Vice President for Strategic Affairs, Mohammad Javad Zarif, has stated that Iran reserves the right to retaliate for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July.
In an interview with NBC News, Zarif asserted that Iran has the right to choose the time and manner of its response. He emphasized that while the international community urged Iran to exercise restraint to facilitate a ceasefire in Gaza, the promised ceasefire never materialized.
Zarif further asserted that Iran is committed to working with other nations to resolve the ongoing conflict in Gaza. “We want a more peaceful and stable world for our citizens and for the citizens of the world,” he stated. “We don’t seek war, but we will defend ourselves.”
He placed the blame for the conflict squarely on the US, citing its withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal under the Trump administration. “It was the miscalculation of the Trump administration that withdrew from the nuclear deal. It has been a lose-lose situation,” Zarif said.
Haniyeh was assassinated at his residence in Tehran on July 30th, while attending the inauguration ceremony of the new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
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