Iran’s top diplomat in Lebanon Mojtaba Amani on Wednesday forcefully rejected reports of his alleged defection to Israel, characterizing them as deliberate misinformation.
The Iranian ambassador dismissed the claims as part of a “Zionist plot” to spread disinformation.
“Salam Alaikum,” tweeted Amini. “These rumors have been disseminated by Israeli psychological warfare networks, stemming from their apprehension about potential Iranian responses. Such baseless claims do not merit any consideration.”
Iran has blamed Israel for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July.
On Sunday, the Islamic Republic’s foreign minister said his country’s response to the killing would be “calculated.”
“Iran[‘s] reaction to Israeli terrorist attack in Tehran is definitive, and will be measured & well calculated,” tweeted Abbas Araghchi. “We do not fear escalation, yet do not seek it—unlike Israel.”
Last week, Iranian officials signaled that a direct attack on Israel may not be imminent, with the Islamic Republic’s mission to the United Nations insisting that any response “must be carefully calibrated” to avoid derailing Gaza ceasefire talks.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has also suggested that an attack might not be coming in the near future. “Time is at our disposal,” Brig. Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini, the IRGC spokesman, said last week.
In April, Iran launched some 300 missiles and drones in its first-ever direct attack against the Jewish state.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
