Iran condemns Israeli killing of senior Hezbollah commander

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran condemned the Sunday airstrike carried out by the Israeli regime on a densely populated area in the capital city of Lebanon, Beirut, and called for accountability for Israeli crimes.  

Israel launched "a treacherous attack" on residential apartments in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh on Sunday that killed at least five people, including senior Hezbollah commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai and four resistance fighters. It also wounded 28 others, including women and children.

In a statement on Sunday night, the Iranian Foreign Ministry called the strike a “gross violation” of the November 2024 ceasefire agreement and a “brutal attack” on Lebanon's sovereignty.

The ministry emphasized the necessity of holding criminal Israeli leaders accountable for “terrorist acts” and war crimes.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry expressed condolences to the families of the victims and paid tribute to Commander Tabatabai, praising his lifelong dedication to defending Lebanon against Israeli aggression.

The ministry also criticized the United States for its support of Israel, suggesting that this backing is causing the repeated violations of the ceasefire by the Zionist regime. 

The ministry also urged the United Nations and the international community to take decisive action against Israeli crimes, and called these military incursions threats to regional and global peace.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers the inaction and silence of the United Nations and its Security Council regarding the continuous aggressions and countless crimes of the Israeli regime against the Lebanese people as regrettable and unjustifiable," the statement said.

The ministry called for "serious action by the international community to confront organized terrorism and the Zionist regime’s warmongering against Lebanon and other countries in the region."

"Without a doubt, the military adventures of the Zionist regime in the West Asian region are the greatest threat, not only to the peace and stability of this region, but also to international peace and security, and therefore confronting this threat is a global responsibility," the ministry concluded.

The Israeli attack on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital is the latest blatant violation of the ceasefire Israel signed with Hezbollah in November 2024, which was intended to end hostilities that had escalated into full-scale war.

An Israeli strike on the Ain al-Hilweh camp near Sidon in southern Lebanon late Tuesday killed at least 14 people. It wounded several others, including young students, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli attacks have killed approximately 4,000 people and displaced more than 1.2 million residents across the country since October 2023./mehr