The Iranian ambassador to the UN compared our relationship with the resistance groups to NATO.
Amir Saeid Iravani, the ambassador and representative of the Islamic Republic at the UN, acknowledged that Iran arms and strengthens Palestinian groups and, in addition to financial support, provides them with training.
However, he clarified that Tehran has not armed the Houthis but encourages them to cease their activities in the Red Sea.
In response to a question about Iran’s role in the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, he said we did not participate in this decision. It was a Palestinian decision and operation, and we had no role in it.
He added that regarding Palestine, we send weapons, train them, and empower them, but concerning the resistance movement in the region, we coordinate, cooperate, and consult with them and perhaps provide some financial support.
Mr. Iravani also described Iran’s relationship with resistance groups in the Middle East as something akin to NATO and as a defensive pact, through which Iran’s allies have the power to decide and choose, and it is not the case that they receive orders via phone calls.