South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor on Sunday discussed the situation in West Asia with her Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian amid tensions in the region over Iran’s attack on Israel two weeks ago.
In a statement, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the two ministers had a telephone chat during which they “discussed the latest developments in the two country’s bilateral ties and the situation in West Asia, especially following Iran’s legitimate response to the Zionist regime’s recent military attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus.”
“The Iranian foreign minister stated that Iran decided to target the Israeli regime’s two military and intelligence bases involved in the attack on the Iranian Embassy based on the principle of legitimate defence and the inherent right to self-defence,” the statement said.
Amirabdollahian told Pandor that Tehran’s move was in retaliation to the inaction by the United Nations Security following Israel’s raid on the Iranian embassy as well as the decision by some western powers to block the censure of Israel by the security council.
“He added Iran made the decision only after the UN Security Council failed to give an appropriate response to the raid and did not slam the Israeli regime’s attack, and some permanent members of the UN Security Council, namely the US, UK and France, blocked a move to condemn the Israeli crime by the Security Council.”
The minister said Iran would “respond strongly and firmly” should Israel take further action against Tehran.
He also lauded South Africa for its historic initiative to file a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice against Israel for committing genocide during its six-month-long onslaught on the Gaza Strip.
Pandor stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave where more than 30,000 civilians have been killed by Israeli troops since October 2023.
She announced that South Africa was ready to host Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi when he visits the African country later in 2024.
JN/APA