Tehran, Iran – Web Desk: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that Tehran will respond “immediately and powerfully” to any threat against Iran’s leadership after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had previously been “marked for death.”
In a statement posted on X, Araghchi said the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was “crystal clear and public for all to see,” adding that the US president had committed to restraining Israel. He warned that if Israel ignored those commitments, Iran would “teach them a lesson.”
The Iranian foreign minister stressed that any threat to Iran’s people or leadership would be met with an immediate and powerful response, reaffirming Tehran’s readiness to retaliate against any military action.
Araghchi’s remarks followed comments by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz during a memorial ceremony marking the 2006 Lebanon war. Katz said Israel could launch further military strikes against Iran “if it deems it necessary,” despite ongoing US diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing regional tensions.
“We have already carried out two pre-emptive strikes in Iran, and if necessary, we will strike a third time,” Katz said, adding that Israeli forces would continue maintaining what he described as “security zones” in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza.
Meanwhile, former Israeli military chief and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of exaggerating Iran’s nuclear capabilities to alarm the Israeli public.
According to Israeli media, Eisenkot said Iran did not possess nuclear weapons and claimed Netanyahu’s recent statements regarding Tehran’s alleged nuclear arsenal were inaccurate.
The exchange of statements comes amid heightened regional tensions following previous military confrontations between Iran and Israel, while diplomatic efforts continue to prevent further escalation.
Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes and denies seeking nuclear weapons. No international monitoring body has confirmed that Iran possesses nuclear arms.
