Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that US and European leaders had promised to declare a ceasefire in Gaza if Iran did not retaliate against the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh. However, Pezeshkian stated that they did not fulfill this promise.

As tensions escalated in the Middle East following the killing of Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah, Iran made a noteworthy announcement.

President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke at a Cabinet meeting held last night. Addressing Israel’s aggression in the region and its Western supporters, Pezeshkian said, “The crimes of the Zionist regime are unacceptable and will not go unanswered.” He added, “The claims of the US and European leaders promising a ceasefire in exchange for Iran not responding to the assassination of martyr Haniyeh were entirely false. Giving such criminals a chance will only encourage them to commit more crimes.”

PUBLIC DEMANDS RESPONSE FROM OFFICIALS The President of Iran’s statements sparked debates in the country, leading to a group gathering in front of the building of the Supreme National Security Council late at night, demanding a response from officials regarding these statements. On July 31, after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran had decided on retaliation against Israel. During this time, there were claims that Tehran would refrain from attacking in exchange for a permanent halt to Israel’s attacks in Gaza.

The Tehran government had stated that “the decision to punish Israel for threatening national sovereignty through the attack is separate from ceasefire efforts in Gaza, but they hoped it would not harm the ceasefire process.”