TEHRAN: Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that the country will not deploy forces to Lebanon or Gaza to confront Israel as Tel Aviv escalates its strikes targeting Tehran’s allies in the region.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said that local groups possess the capability to defend themselves against “aggression.”
“There is no need to send extra or volunteer forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Kanani said. He added that both Lebanon and Palestinian fighters are equipped to handle the situation independently. “Lebanon and fighters in the Palestinian territories have the capability and strength to defend themselves against the aggression,” the spokesman said.
His remarks come amid intensified Israeli military operations in the region, particularly against the “axis of resistance,” a coalition of Iran-aligned groups spanning Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq.
Recent Israeli airstrikes have led to significant casualties, including the death of Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah, in an attack on Beirut.
Kanani confirmed that Iran has not received any requests for military assistance, adding, “On the contrary, we are informed and are sure that they do not need the help of our forces.”
Despite declining to send troops, Kanani vowed that Israel would face repercussions for its actions against Iran and its allies, stating, “Israel will not remain without reprimand and punishment for the crimes it has committed against the Iranian people, military personnel, and the resistance forces.”
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visited Hezbollah’s office in Tehran to pay his respects to Nasrallah, highlighting the deep ties between Iran and the Lebanese group.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also promised that Nasrallah’s death “will not be in vain,” while First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref warned that it would lead to Israel’s “destruction.”
Iran has vowed to avenge the death of Abbas Nilforoushan, a senior commander of the Quds Force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ foreign operations division, who was killed alongside Nasrallah.
