News in Brief
Iran ‘will not hesitate’ to respond to any attack on its territory
Iran said Monday it “will not hesitate” to respond in the event of US attacks on its territory after the White House declined to say whether strikes on Iran were ruled out.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday the US will press on with its retaliation against resistance groups in Iraq and Syria, which the US says are being supported by Iran.
Asked whether the United States would rule out the possibility of striking Iran directly, Sullivan told NBC, “It would not be wise for me to talk about what we’re ruling in and ruling out.”
“If (Iran) chose to respond directly to the United States, they would be met with a swift and forceful response from us,” he said.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani hit back on Monday, saying: “The Islamic Republic has shown that it has always reacted decisively to any threat to its security, territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
Iran “will not hesitate to use its capabilities” to respond to any attacks on its soil, said Kanaani during his weekly press briefing.
He, however, reiterated that Iran “does not seek to aggravate tensions and crises in the region”.
Pakistan calls on int’l community to halt India’s use of force against Kashmiris
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran Muhammad Mudassir Tipu called on the international community to urge India to halt the brute use of force against the Kashmiri people.
He made the remarks during a ceremony organized by the Embassy of Pakistan in Tehran to commemorate the Kashmir Solidarity Day.
The Pakistani diplomat said, “For over seven decades, Kashmiris have been victims of India’s state-sponsored terrorism, including gross and systematic violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, which have further intensified under the BJP-RSS combined “Hindu Rashtra” project, under which sinister anti-Kashmiri policies are also being pursued to change the demographic composition of the occupied territory”.