ALWAGHT- Iran has strongly condemned the assassination of Hezbollah spokesman Mohammad Afif in an Israeli strike on a building in central Beirut, describing him as the 'resonant voice' of the Lebanese nation.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei praised Mohammad Afif as a key figure in raising global awareness about the injustice and violations of the Zionist regime, emphasizing his dedication to amplifying the oppression of the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples until his death. Baghaei highlighted Afif’s tireless efforts to expose Israel's actions to the world.
Baghaei also noted that over 200 journalists and media workers have been killed by Israeli forces in the past year, calling these killings part of Israel’s systematic campaign of genocide and ethnic cleansing against Palestinians. These attacks aim to silence media coverage of Israeli atrocities, he stated.
The spokesman condemned the assassination of Afif and other journalists in Lebanon and Gaza as clear violations of international humanitarian law, particularly the 1949 Geneva Conventions, which prohibit attacks on journalists. He urged the United Nations and the International Court of Justice to hold Israeli officials accountable for these war crimes.
Baghaei affirmed that the martyrdom of Afif, alongside the deaths of other prominent journalists like Shireen Abu Akleh, will further delegitimize Israel and strengthen the resolve of the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples in their resistance against Israeli occupation and apartheid. Afif, a former media adviser to Hezbollah leader Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, had managed the al-Manar television station and led the movement’s media office before his death.