Speaking during a visit to the ‘Shajareh Tayyebeh’ elementary school in Minab, Hormozgan Province, Gharibabadi said Iran had not initiated the war and consistently defended itself against aggression.
He expressed hope that the opposing sides would exercise rationality to prevent a renewed conflict.
Gharibabadi also stressed the need to hold those responsible for the deadly US-Israeli attack on the school on the first day of the imposed war accountable through international legal institutions. He said Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has placed particular emphasis on pursuing the case through legal channels.
Substantial evidence concerning the US-Israeli attack on the elementary school has been collected and sent to Tehran, the deputy foreign minister said, adding that legal proceedings are underway.
He emphasized that those responsible for the Minab crime must be held accountable before international forums and noted that some foreign countries are participating in efforts to bring a legal case over the incident.
Gharibabadi also condemned the US military’s use of a sports stadium in Lamerd, Fars Province, as a site to test a new weapon, describing the action as a war crime and calling for its legal aspects to be examined.
Criticizing the international community’s response to the attacks, he said it has failed to take effective action against the enemy’s crimes during the two wars of aggression imposed on Iran. Nevertheless, he added, the capabilities of Iran’s Armed Forces and national cohesion have enabled the country to resist its adversaries.
Addressing the Strait of Hormuz, Gharibabadi said the strategic waterway has become a symbol of Iranian identity and that Iran would use its capabilities to confront its adversaries. He reiterated that Iran has not started a war in the past two centuries but has stood firm against aggressors, warning that any new military action against the country would be met with a response different from that delivered during the 40-day and 12-day wars.