Israeli president Herzog claps back at Iran's Pezeshkian over Lebanon

Israeli President Isaac Herzog meets with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in her ceremonial offices at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, U.S., July 19, 2023.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog meets with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in her ceremonial offices at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, U.S., July 19, 2023.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday rejected an assertion by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian the previous day that Israel is trying to draw Iran into direct conflict, accusing Israel's foe of already playing an active role in regional instability.

Speaking to journalists in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, Pezeshkian accused Israel of trying to provoke Iran into joining the conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, warning of the "irreversible" consequences of further instability in the Middle East.

"We want to live in peace; we don't want war," he said, calling for a resolution through dialogue.

In an interview with CNBC, Herzog rebuffed Pezeshkian, accusing Iran of destabilizing the region through its Revolutionary Guard Corps - a transnational paramilitary organization which supports armed Islamist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Houthis.

"The Iranian president says something, and yet his National Guards are leading the entire region into the abyss by ongoing terror," Herzog said.

Herzog questioned how smaller factions like Yemen's Houthis have acquired advanced weapons such as ballistic and cruise missiles while emphasizing Israel's view of Hezbollah as a grave threat.

"Hezbollah is a terrorist army which has basically hijacked a nation called Lebanon ... We care for them, we want to enable a peaceful future between us and Lebanon."

Pezeshkian, who assumed the presidency following a July election, also reiterated Iran's support for Hezbollah during an interview with CNN that aired on Monday while warning against escalation.

"The danger does exist that the fire of events taking place [in Lebanon] will expand to the entire region," Pezeshkian warned.

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has resulted in significant casualties, with Lebanese health authorities reporting over 550 deaths in recent days from Israeli attacks.

Israel has carried out extensive aerial bombardments it says target Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon, marking one of the deadliest periods since Lebanon's civil war.