Iran's Ambassador to India, Iraj Elahi, praised New Delhi for its morality and humanity on the global stage in connection to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and said that India has the potential to play a pivotal role in ending brutalities in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking to news agency ANI, the Iranian envoy highlighted India's rich history of upholding moral courage and indomitable human support and exuded confidence that the country will not turn a blind eye to the "genocide" in Gaza.
"India has always been a steadfast bastion of morality and humanity on the global stage. The indelible impact of Mahatma Gandhi's teachings and his inspiring words on Palestine are etched into the collective memory of all. India aspires to become the voice of the global South, but we cannot discuss the global South without acknowledging the immense suffering endured by its people, particularly in the occupied lands of Palestine," he said.
Elahi said that the current situation in Palestine gives an opportunity for India to lend its support to the voice of the Global South and slammed Israel for violating international law and universal moral values in its retaliatory bombardment of Gaza.
More people will join resistance against Israel, says envoy
The Iranian envoy further remarked that more Palestinians will join and raise weapons against Israel if it manages to successfully weaken Hamas. "We, as always, strongly condemn the acts of genocide and crimes against humanity perpetrated by Zionists. Our primary objective is to employ every available means to establish a truce and put an end to this ongoing genocide," he told ANI.
He said that Israel cannot "erase the idea of resistance against occupation and apartheid" in the minds of Palestinians and that an escalation of violence "by the Zionist regime will only increase the likelihood of new conflicts emerging".
Elahi also justified Hamas' attack on October 7 as an act of resistance and self-defence and said that Hamas is only an excuse for the Jewish state to invade Gaza and further their occupation.
"Our officials have engaged in fruitful and constructive meetings with their counterparts, aiming to facilitate a ceasefire. However, despite our efforts, the United States hinders progress by supporting the occupiers. We firmly believe that the true resolution to this conflict can only be achieved through democratic means and by recognizing the Palestinians' right to self-determination," he further said.
Iran's stance on the war
Iran, which backs Hamas, has repeatedly slammed Israel for the conflict and has even indirectly threatened to enter the conflict through its proxies. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday warned the Israeli forces of the possible interference of other countries to take action against it and said that Israel has crossed 'red lines'.
"Zionist regime's crimes have crossed the red lines, which may force everyone to take action. Washington asks us to not do anything, but they keep giving widespread support to Israel," he said.
Meanwhile, Iran-backed proxy forces, the Houthis in Yemen and the Hezbollah in Lebanon, have attacked Israel for its relentless airstrikes in Gaza. The Houthis launched a series of missile and drone attacks and vowed to carry out further strikes.
This has drawn Iran closer to the conflict. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously warned Iran and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group against intervening in the conflict.
According to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), at least 3,000 Hamas fighters entered Israel and launched a barrage of rockets, killing 1,400 people. In response, more than 9,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, mostly women and minors, and more than 22,000 people have been wounded due to Israeli airstrikes.
Palestinian militants also abducted around 242 people during their incursion and have continued firing rockets into Israel.
(with inputs from agencies)
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