Iran discusses Hamas chief's assassination with EU, Jordan

Tehran [Iran], August 3: Iranian Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani exchanged views on the alleged Israeli assassination of Hamas Politburo Chief Ismail Haniyeh with officials from the European Union (EU) and Jordan, according to statements released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Friday.
In two separate phone calls with Josep Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs, and Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Bagheri Kani warned about the political and security ramifications of the "crime" of violating Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the alleged attack, stressing that Tehran would use its right to self-defense to punish Israel.
He told Borrell that Israel had violated regional and international peace and stability, as well as Iran's national security, adding Iran would definitely use its "inherent and legitimate right to self-defense to punish" Israel.
The top Iranian diplomat pointed to the emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council held on the issue at Tehran's request in New York on Wednesday, denouncing some European states' move of taking the U.S. side in preventing the council from condemning the Hamas chief's assassination.
Borrell, for his part, highlighted Iran's "legitimate" right to defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty, while expressing concern about the escalation of tension and eruption of a full-fledged war in the region and their consequences for the regional peoples.
In his phone call with Safadi, Bagheri Kani said Iran would undoubtedly enforce the law and seek justice against Israel without any compromise.
He said Iran had proposed to hold an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss the recent developments and take action against Israel, calling on Amman to support Tehran's proposal.
The Jordanian foreign minister backed Iran's initiative to convene an emergency OIC meeting, while condemning the "Israeli crime" of assassinating Haniyeh in the Iranian territory and its violation of Iran's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Safadi also called for efforts to prevent the widening of the scopes of the conflict in the region.
Haniyeh, who had been invited to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday, was killed along with his bodyguard early Wednesday when their residence in Tehran was hit, according to Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, which said Israel had carried out the attack and vowed "a harsh and painful response."
Source: Xinhua