Kanaani: We must separate between the Iranian response to Israel and the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said that the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza "are not linked to our legitimate right to respond to the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in our lands." Kanaani added in a press conference on Monday, "We must separate between the Iranian response to Israel for assassinating the martyr Ismail Haniyeh (head of the political bureau of Hamas) and the negotiations." He explained, "We have made great efforts to stop the ceasefire in Gaza and support the efforts of friendly countries to end the tragedy of the Gaza Strip, so we believe that these negotiations have nothing to do with the Iranian response file." He pointed out that "the Zionist entity, by assassinating Haniyeh, proved that it does not want negotiations and does not desire them." He stressed that "Iran does not want war in the region, but it is forced to respond at the appropriate time in light of the Security Council's inability to fulfill its rights." The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman continued, "Some Western countries avoided condemning the assassination of the martyr Haniyeh and prevented the issuance of a statement against Israel in the Security Council, so we believe that demands not to respond are unwise and contrary to logic and international law." He added, "We consider these demands an encouragement to the Zionist entity to continue its aggression and crimes." Israel and the United States are preparing for a possible Iranian attack after Tehran threatened to respond to Israel, which it accuses of assassinating the head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement, Ismail Haniyeh, on its territory on July 31. Source: National Iraqi News Agency