Raeisi issued the warning during a telephone conversation with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Monday, two days after Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at the occupied territories in retaliation for Israel’s terrorist attack against the Islamic Republic’s diplomatic premises in Syria.
“Now, we declare with conviction that the slightest action against Iran's interests will definitely be met with a severe, extensive and painful response against all its perpetrators,” the Iranian president said.Israel’s April 1 strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, which killed seven members of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), demonstrated the regime's “frustration” caused by its failure to achieve its declared goals during the genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, he added.Raeisi also complained about the inaction of the United Nations and its Security Council on the Israeli crimes in Gaza and their failure to condemn Israel’s terrorist raid on Iran's consulate.Therefore, he noted, the Islamic Republic “designed and conducted” a retaliatory operation against “the same centers that had done acts of mischief against us, exercising our legitimate right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.”The Iranian chief executive further underlined the need for taking acts of deterrence, especially by Muslim countries, against Israel as it keeps committing crimes in Gaza.The indiscriminate support of some Western countries for the Zionist regime is fueling tensions in the region, he asserted.“The Zionists’ child-killing, genocide and horrific crimes have continued with the full support of the US and some Western states, while the oppressed and powerful people of Gaza are still victorious in the battlefield thanks to their resistance.”'A clear message'Sheikh Tamim, for his part, praised Iran’s tactful measure in designing and carrying out the retaliatory operation against Israel, saying it sent a clear message to everyone.He also referred to Qatar’s condemnation of Israel’s deadly attack that violated international agreements and conventions, as well as diplomatic norms.As the globe is witnessing the highest level of convergence in support of the Palestinian cause, the Zionist regime is escalating tensions in a bid to divert the world's public opinion from its Gaza crimes, he added.He further hailed the unique relations between Iran and Qatar that are based on mutual trust, saying the two countries have been supporting each other in all circumstances.