Iran's Guards Slam Israeli Attacks, Vow Support For Gaza

Iran International Newsroom
An Iron Dome anti-missile system fires an interceptor missile as a rocket is launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, August 7, 2022
An Iron Dome anti-missile system fires an interceptor missile as a rocket is launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, August 7, 2022

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard “very strongly condemn” Israel’s attacks in Gaza and vow full support to “Palestinian resistance”, the IRGC said in a statement Sunday.

Iran’s reactions to the latest flareup of violence between Israel and the Iran-backed Islamic Jihad militant group has so far been relatively low-key, as Tehran’s diplomats in Vienna are engaged in intense talks with the United States and Europe over reviving the 2015 nuclear agreement, the JCPOA.

Iran’s ruler Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has yet to condemn Israel and threaten revenge, as some IRGC commanders have already done, and as he has done on past occasions.

The IRGC statement called Israel’s decision to launch attacks against the Islamic Jihad on Friday “a miscalculation” and a test to gauge the military prowess of the Palestinians in case of an all-out war. The statement went on to say that Israel and its supporters “will regret” the attacks on Gaza.

The Revolutionary Guard also condemned the United States and some Europeans and those Arab states which maintain “normal ties” with “the murderous Zionist regime.”

The Islamic Republic has been a full supporter of Islamic Jihad, although its relations with the other militant group in Gaza, the Hamas had had its ups and downs over the years.

The statement in the end called for the “liberation of al-Quds (Jerusalem) and the sacred land of Palestine.” It also called for the removal of “the cancerous tumor, Israel” from the world map.

Another unusual sign that Tehran might not be inclined to escalate its rhetoric against Israel was a meeting of foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian with agroup of parliamentarians on Sunday to answer questions on foreign relations.

In a report about the meeting in the government’s official news website IRNA there was no mention of the conflict in Gaza, while lawmakers asked questions on a series of less significant issues.

Equally notable was the absence of any discussion over the nuclear talks currently taking place in Vienna, while many Iranian members of parliament have repeatedly demanded explanations from the government over the fate of the negotiations.

Western and regional opponents of reviving the JCPOA argue that Iran’s ultimate aim is the destruction of Israel and an agreement that would eventually allow Tehran to legally obtain nuclear weapons while removing sanctions is dangerous.

Former US president Donald Trump left the JCPOA in 2018 arguing that the 2015 deal was a weak one and Iran also pursued aggressive policies in the region and supported “terrorism”.

But President Joe Biden disagreed with Trump’s decision and has vowed to restore that agreement, although after 16 months of multilateral talks a new agreement still remains elusive.

American and European diplomats returned to Vienna Thursday for a new round of talks with Iran although since last December they have been saying that time is running out if Iran fails to take an offer they have made.

If the current negotiations in Vienna succeed, Iran stands to gain tens of billions of dollars in the next couple of year by higher oil exports, access to frozen funds and more trade.