Iran – Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi concluded a rare visit to Iran on Sunday, during which he called for an end to the escalation of violence and to contribute to “building a region of security and peace.”
Safadi’s visit to Iran comes in the wake of ongoing diplomatic contacts by the United States and its partners including France, Britain, Italy and Egypt to prevent further escalation in the region after the assassination of the head of the political bureau of the Palestinian factions movement, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran last week.
Iranian state television reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in his meeting with Safadi that the assassination of Haniyeh was “a big mistake by the Zionist regime that will not go unanswered.”
Iran and Jordan are seeking to improve their relations following recent tensions over the kingdom’s accusation that Iran-allied factions in Syria are smuggling drugs into the country and Jordan’s announcement that it would participate in intercepting Iran’s first direct attack on Israel in April.
Safadi said in a press conference held in Tehran with his Iranian counterpart, “His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein has tasked me with accepting the invitation to Tehran to engage in a clear and frank brotherly discussion about overcoming the differences between the two countries with frankness and transparency in a way that protects the interests of both our countries.”
He added, “I am the Foreign Minister of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which has never been anything but a pioneer in defending the Palestinian cause, defending the rights of the brotherly Palestinian people, condemning the Israeli occupation of the occupied Palestinian territories, and rejecting all escalatory measures taken by Israel that prevent the achievement of the security, stability, and just peace that we want.”
Safadi condemned the assassination of Haniyeh last Wednesday, describing it as “a heinous crime, an escalatory step that constitutes a violation of international law and international humanitarian law, and an attack on the sovereignty of states, and we reject it absolutely.”
He continued, “We demand that there be an effective move to stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza, and to stop such illegitimate Israeli steps, and the commission of crimes against the brotherly Palestinian people, to protect the entire region from the consequences of a regional war that will have a devastating effect on everyone.”
He added, “We want our region to live in security, peace and stability, and we want the escalation to end.”
Tensions in the region have been high following Haniyeh’s assassination, the day after an Israeli airstrike on Beirut killed Fouad Shukr, a senior military commander in the Lebanese factions movement allied with Iran.
Palestinian factions and their enemy Iran accused Israel of assassinating Haniyeh and vowed to respond. Israel has neither claimed nor denied responsibility for killing Haniyeh.
Reuters
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2024-08-06 21:30:02
