Iran has accused Israel of committing 'mass murder' following the explosion of paging devices belonging to the Tehran-aligned Hezbollah group in Lebanon, which resulted in the deaths of 12 individuals and injuries to up to 2,800 others. In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani condemned the 'terrorist act of the Zionist regime' as an instance of mass murder.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a post on X, denounced what he termed 'Israeli terrorism' after a conversation with his Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib. Among the injured in the Tuesday pager blasts was Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, who reportedly sustained injuries to his hand and face, according to Iranian media. State television reported that Amani's injuries were minor, and the Iranian embassy in Beirut used the social media platform X to refute 'rumours about the physical condition and vision problems' of the ambassador, stating that his treatment was progressing well.
The Iranian Red Crescent announced on Wednesday that it had sent 'rescue teams and eye surgeons' to Lebanon to assist the wounded. The group's chief, Pirhossein Kolivand, stated through the official IRNA news agency that 'if necessary, we are ready to transfer the seriously injured... to Iran for treatment.'
Israel has yet to comment on the series of explosions that claimed the lives of nine people, including the 10-year-old daughter of a Hezbollah member, and injured between 2,750 and 2,800 others. The blasts occurred shortly after Israel declared an expansion of the war objectives triggered by Hamas's October 7 attacks to encompass its conflict with Hezbollah along the border with Lebanon.
In his statement, Kanani expressed solidarity with the families of the victims, including the Iranian ambassador. He emphasized that 'combating the terrorist acts of the (Israeli) regime and the threats arising from them is an obvious necessity,' and called on the international community to swiftly act to counter the impunity of the 'Zionist criminal authorities.' Tehran's ambassador to the United Nations, Saeid Iravani, stated that 'the Israeli regime must be held responsible for this heinous crime,' according to IRNA.
