Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian told Russia’s Sergei Shoigu in Tehran that while his country is not seeking escalation, it will respond to Israel for the killing of Hamas’s Ismail Haniyeh.
The world is anxiously watching the rising tension between Iran and Israel as reports speak of a retaliatory Iranian attack sooner than later.
Pezeshkian told Shoigu that "Iran is by no means seeking to expand the scope of the crisis in the region, but this regime will certainly receive a response for its crimes and arrogance."
The exact reason for Vladimir Putin’s confidant, Shoigu, on Monday remained unclear. Whether Russia’s former long-time defense minister went to Tehran to calm the situation or discuss military matters ahead of a possible war with Moscow’s close ally remains unknown.
Pezeshkian was also quoted as telling the Kremlin envoy that "Russia has been one of the countries that has stood by the Iranian nation during difficult times. Developing relations with this strategic partner is a priority of the Islamic Republic of Iran's foreign policy, and there is a need to expedite the implementation of the agreements made between the two countries."
He also repeated the Islamic Republic’s standard position that together with Russia, China and others, Tehran will oppose US power and influence. "We believe the era of dominance by certain powers, including the United States, has passed, and the shared positions and cooperation between Iran and Russia in promoting a multipolar world will certainly lead to greater global security and peace."
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said later on Monday Washington was engaged in intense diplomacy to ease tensions in the Middle East and urged all parties to refrain from escalating.
Speaking after his meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Blinken also said it was crucial that a ceasefire deal in Gaza is reached and called on all parties to find ways to come to an agreement.
Also on Monday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the United States has been urging countries through its diplomatic engagements to tell Iran that escalation in the Middle East is not in their interest.
Speaking at a daily briefing, Miller said this was a "critical moment" for the region and that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was working the phones to help calm the tensions, but also said Washington was preparing for all possibilities.
Two American destroyers, the USS Laboon and USS Cole, shifted from the Gulf of Oman to the Red Sea, in the direction of Israel, The Washington Post reported on Monday citing defense officials.
"The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt remained in the Gulf of Oman as of this morning," the report added.
The US Navy played a key role in the interception of Iran's large-scale missile and drone attack on Israel in April.
A Pentagon spokesman stated Monday that the United States has not observed any specific movements in Iran so far that would indicate potential attacks on Israel in the coming hours, according to Sky News Arabia.
Monday evening local time three explosions were heard in Sepahan-Shahr, Isfahan province, according to Iran's state-run media and citizens' reports.
Mohammadreza Jan-Nessari, the Deputy Governor of Isfahan, said "the sounds of the explosions were caused by a training exercise."
Isfahan province is home to multiple Iranian military and nuclear facilities, some of which have been targeted in suspected Israeli strikes in the past.
The catalyst for the urgent visits appears to be the looming threat of an Iranian attack on Israel, predicted to occur 'imminently', according to US intelligence.
A high-ranking Russian delegation led by Sergei Shoigu, the Secretary of Russia's National Security Council, arrived in Tehran. The purpose of the visit, according to the Secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, is to strengthen political and security ties and to discuss regional and international issues. However, the timing of Shoigu's arrival coincided with heightened military preparations and international concern.
Meanwhile, Michael Erik Kurilla, the commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), arrived in Israel on Saturday. Although a US official stated that Kurilla's trip was planned before the recent surge in tensions, it is now expected to serve as a crucial opportunity to bolster the international coalition defending Israel.
Earlier, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder announced that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin discussed regional tensions with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday.
On Monday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani spoke on the phone to discuss the possible attacks by Iran and Hezbollah against Israel, stressing the need for de-escalation, according to Axios journalist Barak Ravid.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he has spoken with UAE President and Saudi Crown Prince on the situation.
"We call on all stakeholders to show responsibility and restraint to avoid a regional conflagration. No one has any interest in escalation," he said.
During a visit to the underground command center of the Israeli Air Force, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant highlighted the country's readiness to transition swiftly to offensive operations if necessary.
"Our enemies are carefully considering their every move because of the capabilities you have demonstrated over the past year. Nevertheless, we must be prepared for anything – including a swift transition to offense," he said.
Several countries have advised citizens to leave Lebanon and Iran. The situation has led to airlines, including Lufthansa, Delta, and others, suspending flights to the region due to the escalating risks.
In Lebanon, the World Health Organization has delivered 32 tons of medical supplies in anticipation of potential war casualties, reflecting the increasing likelihood of a broader conflict involving Hezbollah and Israel.
"The goal is to get these supplies and medicines to various hospitals and to the health sector in Lebanon, especially in the places most exposed (to hostilities) so that we can be ready to deal with any emergency," Lebanon’s Health Minister Firass Abiad told reporters at the airport landing strip where the aid arrived.
Meanwhile, Beirut airport has seen a surge in people attempting to leave the country, indicating widespread fear of an impending full-scale war.
Iranian officials have at the same time continued their inflammatory rhetoric. On Monday, Ali Bagheri Kani, the Acting Foreign Minister of Iran, held a meeting with Khaled Qaddoumi, the representative of the Hamas movement in Tehran. The visit, part of a broader consultation with various ambassadors and foreign mission heads in Tehran, underscores Iran's intention to launch the attack very soon.
Kani emphasized the “moral imperative” to oppose what he described as the "occupation of Palestinian land and the genocide of a nation," framing the situation as one where indifference and appeasement would only “enable further evil.”
Speaking to his Bahraini counterpart, Bagheri Kani said Iran would be "rewarding" Israel if it remains silent following the killing of Ismail Haniyeh. "Therefore, the Islamic Republic considers reciprocal action to be its right, based on international rules and norms," he said.
Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, criticized Israel's recent actions, calling for a harsh response to what he termed as an Israeli mistake.
"If the Israelis receive a firm response, they will understand that killing Haniyeh was a mistake… The Israelis are constantly making calculation errors, and they have repeated this mistake once again," he said.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani also underscored Iran's determination to retaliate, emphasizing that no external messages were needed to justify their actions.
Backed by the US and an international coalition, Israel braces for a potential Iranian assault, similar to that created in the face of the April 13 bombardment towards Israel. At the time, most of the 350 projectiles were intercepted.
The Arbaeen ceremony, marking the end of the 40-day mourning period following Ashura—the religious ritual commemorating the third Shia Imam, Hussain ibn Ali, grandson of Prophet Muhammad, who was killed in 680 AD—is one of the world's largest annual gatherings. Iranian officials say that around four million people travel to Iraq for the event.
Criticism was sparked by the announcement that the newly appointed Vice-President Mohammadreza Aref had ordered 4 trillion rials (around $650,000) to support the event which culminates with ceremonies in the Iraqi cities of Karbala and Najaf on August 25 this year.
The money will be spent to "prevent unforeseen incidents, contagious diseases, and heat strokes at border points and along the pilgrimage path.”
“Why? Arbaeen was not this government’s promised concern. Leave Arbaeen to the people,” Mohammad-Taghi Fazel-Meybodi, a reformist cleric, posted on X, arguing that the “justice” promised by Pezeshkian and his government would be allocating the budget for the education of children in Sistan and Baluchestan province where many children are deprived of an education.
In a tweet Sunday, Iranian journalist Fateme Karimkhan contended that the negative reactions to the expenditure were unfounded. “More than four million Iranians will participate in the Arbaeen Walk and the government would have been responsible to make plans for their protection even if they were to take a domestic route,” she argued.
Most Iranian pilgrims travel to the border, where free parking facilities are provided, and take the walk to the cities of Najaf and Karbala from there while some others fly directly to these cities.
The Islamic Republic has made extensive plans and allocated huge sums in the past decade to encourage and fund the annual event as a show of Shia political power and influence.
Hossein Tayebifar, Acting Representative of Supreme Ali Khamenei in the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), said on July 28 that the event was “the biggest deterrent operation in the world against the conspiracies of the enemies of Islam.” Some officials and clerics say the Arbaeen gathering is one of the manifestations of the Shia “soft power’.
The cost to the public includes massive budgets for infrastructure works such as building and maintenance of roads and service stations as well as provision food, water and field and mobile hospitals along the main routes and in Iraq, and mobilization of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), the regular army and other bodies to provide the security of the event, and state propaganda.
The government also allocates Iraqi currency at cheaper rates and no-interest loans to pilgrims to encourage more people to participate. As in the past few years, the government will sell 200,000 Iraqi dinars (around $120 at open market rates) to pilgrims at the discounted rate of 370 rials to the dinar against 450 rials in the open market.
Many government organizations, municipalities, and city councils separately allocate special budgets for the event. The City Council of Mashhad, for instance, approved a budget of 150 billion rials ($5 million) for services in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf in 2023 and dispatched over 500 city cleaners and 350 bus drivers there.
Other perks include ‘pilgrimage leave’ for civil servants and free internet and roaming mobile services during the event.
If four million or more participate in the event as predicted, the discount in foreign currency rates and the loans could cost the government hundreds of millions of dollars or more depending on the number of participants.
It was also revealed last week that the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs had ordered various government agencies as well as the government retirement fund to contribute to the costs of holding the procession.
“I declare it here that I’m not happy with using the assets of the retirement fund, even as much of as one rial, for anything other than what the funds were established for,” a retired teacher posted on X. Others have pointed out that those who benefit from the perks of Arbaeen should be mindful that any money taken from the fund without their consent will be ‘haram’ - or religiously forbidden.
President Pezeshkian has also ordered all government bodies involved in the matter to abide by their commitments but has also suggested that his government wants to minimize its own role in holding the event.
“We can increase people’s participation [in supporting the event] and the government will withdraw as much as possible ... Where people cannot help, the government should assist and support them. There is no reason for the government to get involved and create more problems where people can help,” he said Saturday at a meeting of the ‘Arbaeen Taskforce’ formed a few years ago of which the vice president and several ministers are members.