Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has denounced Israel as the root cause of insecurity gripping West Asia.

“The main source of insecurity is the occupying Zionist regime,” Amir-Abdollahian said during a Sunday telephone conversation with Qatrai Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.

The top Iranian diplomat also briefed his Qatari counterpart on recent developments in the region and the Islamic Republic’s legitimate act of self-defense that involved a major attack on the occupied territories.

Overnight on Saturday and early Sunday morning, Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at targets in the occupied lands.

The large-scale operation came less than two weeks after Israeli warplanes bombed the consular annex of Iran’s embassy in the Syrian capital, killing seven members of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) who were on an advisory mission to the Arab country.

Sheikh Mohammed underlined the need for security in West Asia, saying the actions of the Israeli regime have caused regional instability.

The two sides also discussed the developments in the Gaza Strip and called for an end to Israeli war crimes and the humanitarian suffering in Gaza and the West Bank.

Israel waged a bloody war on the besieged Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out a historic operation against the usurping entity in retaliation for the regime’s intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

So far, Israel has killed at least 33,729 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 76,371 others.

‘Iran’s retaliatory strike based on Article 51 of UN Charter’

Additionally on Sunday, the Iranian foreign minister had a phone call with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry.

Amir-Abdollahian emphasized Tehran’s principled position against the war in the region, saying, “Everyone should work to stop the genocide and war crimes in Gaza.”

He further expounded Iran’s views about its retaliatory operation against Israel based on Article 51 of the UN Charter.

Shoukry, for his part, expressed concerns about growing tensions in the region as the Israeli regime continues its war on Gaza and kills Palestinian people.

Egypt, he added, will keep up its active efforts to stop the Gaza war.

In another telephone conversation, Amir-Abdollahian talked with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

The Iranian foreign ministry elaborated on Iran’s diplomatic actions over the past two weeks regarding Israel’s acts of aggression and the UN Security Council’s inaction in this regard.

Iran’s retaliatory operation against Israel was conducted within the framework of legitimate defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter, he asserted.

Prince Faisal, for his part, expressed gratitude for the explanations provided by Amirabdollahian and underscored the imperative need for regional stability and security, as well as enhanced bilateral cooperation.