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Iran on Wednesday kicked against European countries’ attempts at mediation amid rising tensions in the Middle East, as Tehran insisted on its right to launch a retaliatory strike on Israel.
Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said, “These calls are politically one-sided and illogical, as they encourage a regime [Israel] to commit even more crimes in the region.
"Iran does not need advice or permission from abroad to defend its security and territorial integrity."
European leaders, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have called on Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to prevent a further military escalation in the Middle East.
Pezeshkian reportedly told the trio that Israel was to blame for the recent crisis and needed to be punished.
To seriously prevent an escalation, he argued, the West should condemn the Israeli government and stop ignoring what he called war crimes.
The Middle East has been hovering on the brink of a regional conflagration since the targeted killing of two leading Israeli opponents two weeks ago.
In response, Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah militias announced they would launch massive retaliatory strikes against Israel.
The Israeli armed forces have been on high alert for days following the announcement.
