Iran has stated that it will not deploy forces to Lebanon or Gaza to confront Israel, according to its foreign ministry on Monday, as Israeli strikes continue to target its allies in the region.
"There is no need to send extra or volunteer forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran," said foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani, emphasizing that Lebanon and fighters in the Palestinian territories "have the capability and strength to defend themselves against the aggression".
Israel has recently intensified its air strikes in Lebanon against the so-called "axis of resistance", a network of Iran-aligned militant groups, including those in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq. An Israeli strike on Beirut on Friday resulted in the death of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has long been armed and financed by the Islamic republic.
"We have not received any request in this regard from any side, on the contrary, we are informed and are sure that they do not need the help of our forces," Kanani told reporters in Tehran.
Kanani nonetheless pledged that Israel "will not remain without reprimand and punishment for the crimes it has committed against the Iranian people, military personnel, and the resistance forces".
On Monday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visited Hezbollah's office in Tehran "to pay tribute" to Nasrallah, as reported by the government's website. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds the final say in all state matters, has vowed that Nasrallah's death "will not be in vain", and First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref stated that it would lead to Israel's "destruction". Iran has also vowed to avenge the killing of Abbas Nilforoushan, a top commander of the Quds Force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' foreign operations arm, who died alongside the Hezbollah leader.
