Iran vows to continue strikes as regional tensions rise

Iran vows to continue strikes as regional tensions rise

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr said Saturday that Iranian forces would continue their attacks until they defeat their enemies and take what he called revenge for the deaths of innocent children in Minab and Lamerd.

State news agency IRNA quoted Zolghadr as saying Iran would also seek retribution for the US-Israeli war and the killing of schoolchildren. Iranian authorities say an attack on a girls’ school in Minab caused the highest number of casualties, killing 168 people and injuring 95, most of them children.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there was no military solution to the growing conflict between Saudi Arabia and Houthi rebels in Yemen. In an interview with the state-run Iran Daily, Araghchi called for dialogue to address tensions involving Yemen, the Bab al-Mandab Strait and other regional disputes.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei also accused the European Union of hypocrisy over its criticism of Iran’s human rights record. Responding to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Baghaei alleged that European support for military actions against Iran contradicted the bloc’s stated commitment to human rights. He also accused the EU of failing to condemn attacks that Iran says have targeted civilians and critical infrastructure.

Iranian authorities reported no new US strikes overnight into Saturday, marking a pause after nearly two weeks of attacks. Health Ministry spokesman Hossein Kermanpour described the night as peaceful. According to Iranian figures, the conflict has killed more than 3,400 people in Iran, while casualties have also been reported in Israel and other countries across the region.

In a separate development, Egypt’s foreign minister held talks with his Iranian and Omani counterparts on efforts to reduce regional tensions and strengthen maritime security.