Iran calls Israeli strikes a ‘declaration of war,’ swiftly replaces killed military leaders

Iran’s foreign minister is calling Israel’s strikes on its nuclear facilities and military leaders a “declaration of war” on Friday, as Tehran quickly replaced top commanders who were killed in the attacks, according to multiple media reports. 

The comments from Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi come as his department also released a statement claiming Israel’s “aggression against Iran could not have been carried out without the coordination and approval of the United States.” 

“Consequently, the U.S. government, as the primary patron of this regime, will also bear responsibility for the dangerous repercussions of the Zionist regime’s reckless actions,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday. 

The Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Hossein Salami and the country’s chief of staff of the armed forces, Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, were killed by Israel’s strikes. As of Friday morning, Ahmad Vahidi was appointed to temporarily replace Salami, while Habibollah Sayyari will fill in for Bagheri, the Jerusalem Post reported, citing Iranian media. 

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Vahidi previously held the roles of Iran’s defense minister and interior minister and once led the IRGC’s elite Quds Force (QF) from 1988 to 1998, the Jerusalem Post added. It noted that during his time with the IRGC-QF, Vahidi was linked to the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which left 85 dead. 

Sayyari is a former marine who led Iran’s navy from 2007 to 2017. 

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Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Friday that Israel’s strikes “constitute a violation of Article 2(4) of the U.N. Charter and a blatant act of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran.  

“In accordance with Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, Iran reserves the legitimate and legal right to respond to this aggression. The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will not hesitate to defend Iran’s sovereignty with full strength and in the manner they deem appropriate,” it continued. 

“As a founding member of the United Nations — an organization whose very purpose is to prevent aggression, breaches of peace, and threats to peace — the Islamic Republic of Iran underscores the Security Council’s obligation to take immediate action against this violation of international peace and security, stemming from the Zionist regime’s blatant aggression. We call upon the President and members of the Council to act without delay in this regard,” the foreign ministry added. 

“The grave and far-reaching consequences of the Zionist regime’s aggression against our beloved homeland, Iran, will rest entirely upon this regime and its supporters,” it also said.