Iran does not want an escalation of tension in the Middle East, but intends to punish Israel for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the political bureau of Hamas. The spokesperson of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Nasser Kanaani,, announced this in a press briefing, reported the Iranian media.

Earlier, he had announced proposal to hold an emergency meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation after the death of the political leader of Hamas.

"Iran operates within the framework of the UN Charter and international law, and it takes its national security seriously to punish the aggressor and establish a deterrent system against the provocations of the Zionist regime [i.e. Israel] and will protect its security," Kanaani noted.

Also, he reiterated Tehran's position: the killing of Haniyeh is a gross violation of international law and political norms respected by the international community.

Iran's MFA spox added that Tehran "cannot be indifferent to its national security, the security of its friends and allies, and the security of the region."