Agencies | Tehran:
Tensions between Iran and Israel intensified on Wednesday after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Tehran would respond forcefully to any threat against its leadership or citizens, following remarks by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz targeting Iran’s top leadership.
In a post on X, Araghchi referred to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, claiming that the President of the United States had committed to restraining Israel. He warned that if Israel failed to heed Washington’s position, Iran would “school” it.
“The terms of the Islamabad MoU are crystal clear and public for all to see. POTUS has committed the U.S. to muzzling its pets in Tel Aviv. If they ignore their master, Iran will school them. Any threat against our People and Leadership will receive Immediate Powerful Response,” Araghchi wrote.
The remarks came in response to comments by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, who reportedly said that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was “marked for death.” Katz also accused Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons and said Israel would not allow Tehran to acquire such capabilities.
He further asserted that Israel would respond decisively to any future Iranian attack, irrespective of direct US military involvement.
“The defensive partnership with the US exists. But if Iran attacks, Israel acts with force. That is not conditional on anything. Trump is a friend of the State of Israel. In his worldview, he knows who the good guys are and who the bad guys are,” Katz said.
Amid the sharp exchange of rhetoric, the United States and Iran held indirect technical talks in Doha on Wednesday aimed at securing safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and working towards a durable ceasefire.
The discussions are based on a 14-point interim agreement reached last month, which was intended to halt hostilities following the US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February, reopen the strategic waterway for commercial shipping, and pave the way for 60 days of negotiations on a broader and more permanent peace arrangement.
