All Persian Gulf states but one condemned scientist’s assassination: Iran

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh made the remarks during a virtual media briefing on Tuesday, four days after the targeted killing of Fakhrizadeh, deputy defense minister and head of the ministry’s Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), near Tehran, by terrorists with suspected links to Israel.

Following Fakhrizadeh’s assassination, he said, Qatar, Oman, Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait, among others, condemned the terrorist incident in telephone conversations and offered their condolences to the Iranian nation and government.

“Regarding Dr. Fakhrizadeh’s martyrdom, we received a torrent of condemnations from countries in different parts of the region. In the Persian Gulf, all states but one condemned [the assassination], while some denounced it using harsh rhetoric. It similarly elicited condemnations from the East, West and North,” he added.

In a veiled reference to Saudi Arabia, the spokesman called on the single country that has refused to take a stance against the terrorist assassination operation to reconsider its policies.

Referring to calls by some states for “restraint” on the part of Iran following the terror attack, he said, “They can say whatever they want…. Iran will deliver a proportionate, independent response that will [inflict] maximum pain on those who ordered and perpetrated [the crime].”

“Of course, as [Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad] Zarif tweeted, self-proclaimed advocates of human rights were expected to condemn [the assassination] more strongly, but part of the story went back to their own policies. These countries, which could not refrain from condemning this terrorist act, called for restraint, a term that does not meet our expectations.”

Terrorists murdered an eminent Iranian scientist today. This cowardice—with serious indications of Israeli role—shows desperate warmongering of perpetrators

Iran calls on int’l community—and especially EU—to end their shameful double standards & condemn this act of state terror.— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) November 27, 2020

Zarif in a post on his Twitter account held Israel accountable for Fakhrizadeh’s assassination, according to Khatibzadeh. Iran’s ambassador to the UN submitted a letter to the world body’s chief and Tehran’s envoys informed their host countries of the details of the assassination.

“This path will continue and we seek the responsibility of the other side,” he underlined. “We think it is one of the best campaigns that can further isolate the occupying Israeli regime.”