LONDON: Iran’s top diplomat in the UK, Seyed Mehdi Hosseini Matin, has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to escalate tensions in the Middle East and drag the West into a “total war.”
The Iranian diplomat asserted that any further provocation by Israel would prompt a swift and severe response from Tehran, without prior warning. He emphasized Iran’s readiness to retaliate decisively against perceived aggression, contrasting it with the prior notification provided before the recent strike.
The recent barrage of over 300 drones and ballistic missiles by Iran was reportedly in response to an Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1, which resulted in the deaths of senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders.
While Israel has vowed to respond to the Iranian attack, it has yet to disclose any specific plans. Seyed Mehdi Hosseini Matin underscored Iran’s commitment to refraining from targeting civilian sites or advancing its nuclear weapons program, both before and after any potential Israeli retaliation.
Meanwhile, US and European leaders have urged caution while also advocating for renewed sanctions against Iran in the aftermath of the recent escalation. Matin dismissed the notion that Iran had made a strategic error, arguing instead that Western powers risk losing credibility by being drawn into Netanyahu’s agenda.
