Araghchi made the comments in a message he issued early on Saturday as the Israeli regime continued airstrikes on Beirut following its earlier air raids on the city’s southern neighborhood of Dahieh.
The airstrikes on densely populated Dahieh on Friday were the largest Israeli bombardment in Lebanon since fighting began between the regime and the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement in early October over Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. The Lebanese health ministry said that at least two people were killed and 90 more wounded in the Dahiya attacks.
“The nature of the illegitimate and fake Zionist regime is based on terrorizing and killing innocent people, especially women and children,” the Iranian foreign minister said in his message.
Araghchi referred to the ongoing death and destruction in Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 43,000 Palestinians, displaced the entire population, and destroyed civilian areas, saying that all those indicate crimes against humanity, genocide, ethnic cleansing and war crimes, with all happening in the wake of inaction by the international community and countries claiming to defend human rights.
The inability or unwillingness of the international community and Israel’s supporters to stop the crimes in Gaza has emboldened the regime to target and kill innocent people in Lebanon through communication devices explosions and airstrikes, the top diplomat noted.
“Yesterday’s airstrikes by the Zionist regime on the Dahieh neighborhood in Beirut is a crime against humanity and a war crime and shows that this regime is the biggest threat to regional and international peace and security.”
Araghchi urged the UN Security Council to end its inaction and take serious measures to stop Israel’s killing machine.
He also called on the secretary general of the Islamic Cooperation Organization to hold an emergency meeting on the ongoing situation in the region.
The Iranian foreign minister sympathized with the Lebanese people and government and reaffirmed his country’s support for the Lebanese nation and the resistance front.