Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated on Wednesday that Tehran retains the right to respond to last month’s Israeli air strikes on Iran, while also weighing broader developments in the region, Reuters reported.
During a visit to Lisbon, Araqchi welcomed Tuesday's ceasefire agreement in Lebanon and expressed hope that it would endure.
When asked if the ceasefire could ease tensions between Israel and Iran, Araqchi responded, “It depends on the behavior of Israel.”
He added, “Of course, we reserve the right to react to the recent Israeli aggression, but we do consider all developments in the region.”
On October 26, Israeli fighter jets struck Iranian military targets, a few weeks after Iran fired a barrage of about 200 ballistic missiles against Israel.
Earlier this week, senior Iranian official Ali Larijani, a close adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said that Tehran was preparing to respond to Israel.
Reports in late October indicated that Khamenei had instructed the Supreme National Security Council to prepare for a retaliatory attack on Israel.
Despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring on Tuesday that Hezbollah had been “set back decades,” Araqchi dismissed the assertion on Wednesday.
The Iranian Foreign Minister argued that Hezbollah had not been weakened by Israel’s actions, which included the eliminations of numerous leaders and a ground offensive launched in early October. Instead, he said the group had successfully reorganized and fought back.
“This is the main reason why Israel accepted the ceasefire,” Araqchi said. “Every time they (Hezbollah) lose their leaders or their commanders, they become bigger in both numbers and their strength.”