In a phone call on Monday with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, President Pezeshkian condemned the brutal killings of women and children in Gaza by the Israeli regime over the past ten months.
He also denounced the “cowardly” assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, whose residence in Tehran was targeted in an Israeli strike on July 31, just hours after he attended the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s newly elected president.
Pezeshkian emphasized that the assassination violated “all humanitarian and legal principles”, doubling down on Iran’s pledge that it will deliver a strong response to the Israeli regime for the brazen act of terrorism on its soil.
"According to all international norms and regulations, the right to self-defense and respond to an aggressor is reserved for any country that has been subjected to aggression," the president stated, while also reaffirming Iran’s commitment to avoiding war and promoting global peace and security.
Cardinal Parolin, for his part, conveyed Pope Francis's congratulations to Pezeshkian on his recent presidential election victory and praised the Iranian president's call for “constructive engagement” with the world.
The senior Vatican official also stressed the urgent need to prevent civilian harm in Gaza and to establish an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian territory.
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