Iran has denounced a recent Israeli attack on its territory, describing it as an act conducted under “false pretences” and drawing parallels to the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq.
Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani told Al Jazeera that the Israeli assault was unjustified and part of a broader pattern of using unsubstantiated claims to justify military aggression.
“Iran has repeatedly said that if the problem is the global issue of nuclear weapons … we have said again and again that we have no intention of pursuing them,” Mohajerani said.
She questioned the legitimacy of the accusations being levelled at Iran, suggesting they echoed the pretexts used by the United States two decades ago. “Everyone knows that this path has been tried repeatedly over recent decades. Wasn’t Iraq invaded under similar pretexts? And after all these years, did they ever find chemical weapons?”
Mohajerani went on to frame Iran’s military response to the Israeli attack as an act of “lawful defence”.
“Over the past 200 years, Iran has not initiated any war. We have no interest in starting one and deliberately avoid it,” she stated. “What we are witnessing today is a legitimate act of self-defence, which is clearly recognised as Iran’s right under all international protocols.”
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The comments come amid heightened tensions in the region, as fears grow of a broader conflict involving multiple regional powers. Both Israel and Iran have long accused each other of destabilising actions, but direct confrontations have been rare until recent months.
While Israel has yet to officially confirm the details of the latest strike, it maintains that Iran’s military infrastructure poses a serious threat. Tehran has consistently denied developing nuclear weapons, insisting its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.
International reaction to the escalation has been mixed, with calls from some global powers urging restraint on both sides. The United Nations has not yet issued a formal statement on the incident.
As the situation continues to unfold, analysts warn that the rhetoric and retaliatory actions risk dragging the Middle East into a deeper and more dangerous phase of conflict.
# With inputs from Al Jazeera