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| Iran's acting foreign minister met other regional officials on Wednesday |
I ran's acting Foreign Minister, Baqeri Ali Bagheri Kani, has pledged that Iran will respond to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh "at the right time" and in an "appropriate" manner. His statement came during an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, convened to discuss Iran's response to the assassination.
Tensions have heightened in the Middle East following Haniyeh’s assassination in Tehran, with Iran and its allies blaming Israel, although Israel has not commented on the incident. The US has urged OIC members to caution Iran against actions that could escalate the conflict.
The OIC, in a statement, held Israel "fully responsible" for what it termed a "heinous attack" and a "serious infringement" of Iran's sovereignty, though it did not endorse any Iranian military response. Iran's recent history of retaliation includes launching over 300 missiles and drones at Israel in April after an attack on its diplomatic compound in Syria, raising concerns of a similar response.
OIC Chair Mamadou Tangara warned that Haniyeh’s killing could trigger a wider regional conflict. Saudi Arabia condemned the assassination as a "blatant violation" of Iran's sovereignty.
Diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation have been intense, with US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken urging both Iran and Israel to avoid actions that would exacerbate the conflict. French President Emmanuel Macron also engaged in diplomacy, warning Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian against escalation, while Pezeshkian called for an end to Western arms sales and support to Israel.
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