Iran's Intelligence Minister Calls Blinken A 'Peddler'

Iran's minister of intelligence has ridiculed US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, saying he is moving around the region like a "peddler" seeking a solution favorable to Israel.

Esmail Khatib alleged that Blinken, with the assistance of certain countries, is actively pursuing what he termed a "dignified ceasefire" in the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel.

Khatib asserted on Saturday that “a regime, initially claiming victory in the region following operations against Hamas, is now shifting its focus towards negotiating a ceasefire.” He suggested that the ceasefire is being sought in exchange for the release of prisoners and an attempt to diminish Hamas's control over Gaza.

The Iranian minister claimed that the October 7 attack by Hamas was a setback for the United States in the region. He alleged that “the US dominance, previously asserting military, intelligence, economic, and political support for the Zionist regime, has collapsed.”

However, Khatib did not provide details on how the US has been defeated despite deploying significant military assets, including a nuclear submarine and two aircraft carriers, along with thousands of forces to the region amid the conflict.

On the contrary, the ongoing conflict has seen Israel intensify its attacks on Gaza, aiming to uproot Hamas. The war has become exceptionally bloody due to Hamas's strategy of operating within the civilian population and beneath non-military facilities in the coastal enclave.

While Iran supports Hamas, it denies any involvement in the October 7 terror attack that triggered the current crisis. Additionally, Iran backs Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group with close ties to both Hamas and Islamic Jihad, another Palestinian faction in Gaza supported by Iran.