Iran, facing a tougher US stance in Donald Trump’s second term, warns that the conflict in West Asia could trigger wider instability, with repercussions that may extend beyond the region's borders.
"The world should know that if the war expands, its detrimental effects will not be confined to West Asia," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Saturday at a ceremony in Tehran honoring the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Araghchi’s remarks came amid a recent series of intensified confrontations involving Iran and Israel, and the Trump's victory in US elections. The ceremony was held to commemorate Nasrallah after his death in an Israeli airstrike on September 27. The Israeli military conducted a large-scale operation, codenamed New Order, in which over 80 bombs were used to target Hezbollah’s fortified underground headquarters in Beirut’s Haret Hreik district, approximately 60 feet below ground.
In response to the assassination, Iran launched an unprecedented missile strike on October 1, targeting Israeli military facilities in what marked the largest direct missile attack on Israel by Tehran. Israel’s advanced air defense systems intercepted many of the incoming missiles. Israel responded on October 26 with a large air strike deep inside Iran, targeting air defense systems and missile production facilities.
Following that attack, Iranian officials issued angry statements for a week before the US elections, threatening a harsh response to Israel.
However, Araghchi and other officials who spoke at the event on Saturday did not mention any retaliation or attack against Israel, a sign of caution after Trump's election.
Mohammad Javad Zarif, former foreign minister and the Iranian president's deputy on strategic affairs, also spoke at the event, emphasizing Iran’s commitment to supporting what Tehran calls "the resistance movement" symbolized by Hezbollah. Zarif said, “Hezbollah is alive, and Israel will not see a single day of peace until the complete liberation of Palestinian lands.”
He further warned that peace would remain elusive unless Palestinian rights were fully acknowledged and respected, adding, “The Zionist regime and the United States must accept that as long as the rights of the Palestinian people are not respected...they will not see peace.”
Many Iranian activists and analysts believe Trump's second presidency may lead to renewed tensions between the United States and Iran. Trump’s 2024 campaign included indications of a return to his maximum pressure policy on Iran between 2018-2020, aimed at curbing Tehran's regional influence and nuclear ambitions.
Following the US election, Zarif cautiously expressed hope that the incoming administration might prioritize stability over confrontation, saying that Iran would remain standing firm against aggression.
Also addressing the Tehran audience, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf praised Hezbollah as a force in the region. Ghalibaf said, “It was Hezbollah that, through the sacrifice of its sons, contained the international threat and established stability and security in the world.” He added that "Europe owes its security to Nasrallah's leadership" but did not elaborate on how Nasrallah contributed to Europe's security.