In a statement issued on Sunday night, the Foreign Ministry of Iran condemned the “cowardly assassination” carried out by Israeli regime’s warplanes against a residential neighborhood in Beirut’s Dahiyeh, an assault it described as a savage infringement of Lebanon’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity that left dozens of civilians, including women and children, dead or wounded.
The statement underscored the necessity of prosecuting and punishing the leaders of the Zionist regime for committing this terrorist act and war crime.
The Foreign Ministry also paid tribute to Tabatabai’s lifelong service in defending Lebanon and resisting the Zionist enemy, extending condolences to Hezbollah’s leadership, fighters, and the families of the martyrs.
It emphasized that continued US support for the Israeli regime is a key factor enabling the regime’s ongoing violations and aggression, stressing the direct responsibility of the ceasefire guarantors.
Recalling repeated Israeli breaches of the ceasefire, the Foreign Ministry deplored the unjustifiable silence and inaction of the United Nations and the Security Council in the face of Israel’s persistent crimes against the Lebanese people.
The statement finally called for serious international measures to confront the Israeli regime’s organized terrorism and warmongering against Lebanon and other regional nations, asserting that the Zionist regime’s military adventurism poses a major threat not only to West Asia’s peace and stability but also to global peace and security.
On Sunday afternoon, an Israeli airstrike targeted the fourth and fifth stories of a residential civilian building on al-Areed street in Haret Hreik in the southern suburbs of Beirut. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, five people were martyred and 28 were wounded in the strike.
In an official statement, Hezbollah confirmed the martyrdom of senior military commander Haitham Ali al-Tabatabai in the strike.
The late commander was recognized as one of the founding leaders of Hezbollah’s military structure and played a pivotal role in its early formation and subsequent growth.