The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations compared our relationship with the resistance groups to NATO.
Amir Saeed Iravani, the ambassador and representative of the Islamic Republic at the United Nations, admitted that Iran arms and strengthens Palestinian groups, and in addition to providing financial support, also provides them with training.
However, he stated that Tehran does not arm the Houthis, but encourages them to stop their actions in the Red Sea.
In response to a question about Iran’s role in the October 2023 attack on Israel, he said, ‘We did not participate in this decision. It was a Palestinian decision and a Palestinian operation. We had no role in it.’
He added, ‘We send weapons to Palestine, we train them, we make them powerful. But when it comes to the resistance movement in the region, we have coordination, cooperation, and consultation with them, and perhaps provide some financial assistance.’
Mr. Iravani also described Iran’s relationship with resistance groups in the Middle East as something similar to NATO, as a defensive alliance where Iran’s allies have decision-making power and choices, rather than receiving orders through phone calls.