Tehran says Israel lacks the ‘capacity and the strength’ to start a war with Iran

Israel committed a costly “strategic mistake” with its killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week, Iran’s acting foreign minister tells AFP in an interview.

“The act that the Zionists carried out in Tehran was a strategic mistake because it will cost them gravely,” Ali Bagheri says one day after attending an extraordinary session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah.

Although Israel has not commented on Haniyeh’s death, Iran has vowed to retaliate, setting the region on edge.

Bagheri accuses Israel of wanting “to expand tension, war and conflict to other countries,” while asserting it was not in a position to fight Iran.

“The Zionists are in no position to start a war against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he says.

“They neither have the capacity nor the strength.”

The meeting on Wednesday of foreign ministers from the 57-member OIC produced a declaration holding Israel “fully responsible” for the “heinous” killing of Haniyeh, the leader of the Hamas terror group, who lived in Qatar and was a major player in talks to release the Israeli hostages held by Hamas and halt the war in the Gaza Strip.

Times of Israel staff contributed.