Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday evening that "the assassination of martyr Haniyeh in Tehran is a cowardly move," and explained that "Iran expects all Islamic countries and free people of the world to strongly condemn such a crime."

The Iranian president said, while receiving the Jordanian Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, that "the assassination of Haniyeh is a grave Zionist mistake that will not pass without a response. The assassination of Haniyeh as a guest of Tehran is a violation of international law, and we hope the world will condemn it."

On Sunday, Jordan's Foreign Minister denied reports that his visit to Iran was intended to deliver a message from Israel to Tehran or vice versa, stressing that his country's only message was to "stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza."

This came in an interview with Iranian state television, on the sidelines of an official visit to Tehran, which he began earlier on Sunday, according to a statement by the Jordanian Foreign Ministry.

The Foreign Ministry said that Safadi's visit comes "in response to an invitation from his Iranian counterpart, Ali Bagheri Kani, during which he conveyed a message from King Abdullah II to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian about the situation in the region and bilateral relations."

It added that Safadi and Bagheri Kani held "extensive talks that discussed bilateral relations and regional situations."

In response to a question from Iranian television, Safadi said: “I am here today to consult on the dangerous escalation witnessed in the region, and His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein has tasked me to accept the invitation to Tehran, to engage in a clear and frank brotherly discussion about overcoming the differences between the two countries frankly and transparently, in a way that protects the interests of both our countries.”

He added that this "puts us on the path to building good and fraternal relations based on respect for others, non-interference in their affairs, and contributing to building a region of security and peace."

He added that his country is "a pioneer in defending the Palestinian cause, defending the rights of the brotherly Palestinian people, condemning the Israeli occupation of the occupied Palestinian territories, and rejecting all escalatory measures taken by Israel that prevent the achievement of security, stability, and just peace that we clearly want."

Gaza and Haniyeh

Safadi continued, saying: “Our priority now is to stop the barbaric aggression that our people in Gaza are being subjected to, and to stop all the war crimes that Israel is committing in Gaza” since October 7, 2023.

Regarding the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday, Safadi said, "Jordan was clear in condemning this assassination, which is a heinous crime and an escalatory step that constitutes a violation of international law and international humanitarian law, and an attack on the sovereignty of states, and we reject it absolutely."

Al-Safadi continued: "We demand that there be an effective move to stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza, and to stop such illegitimate Israeli steps, and the commission of crimes against the brotherly Palestinian people, to protect the entire region from the consequences of a regional war that will have a devastating effect on everyone."

He added: "We want our region to live in security, peace and stability, and we want the escalation to end. As I said in Amman and I emphasize here in Tehran, the first step towards ending the escalation is to stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza."

He also called for "stopping the violation of the rights of the Palestinian people in the West Bank, stopping the escalatory steps that are pushing the region towards more destruction, and fulfilling the rights of the Palestinian people to freedom, statehood, decent living and sovereignty in their independent state on their national soil."

Purpose of the visit

Regarding the objectives of his visit to Tehran, Safadi said: “I have reviewed some of what was attributed (in the media) to Iranian officials, and they confirmed to me that no Iranian official had said that the brothers in Iran would deliver me a message to Israel, and I informed His Excellency (his Iranian counterpart) clearly: I am not here carrying a message from Israel, and I am not here to carry a message to Israel.”

He added: "Our only message to Israel was announced in Amman, clearly and explicitly, over the past months: Stop the aggression on Gaza, stop the war crimes against the Palestinian people, stop the escalation steps, and move towards an immediate and permanent ceasefire that will allow us all to work towards achieving a just and comprehensive peace."

He concluded by saying: “We have started (with Iran) a deep dialogue that we are completing now, within the framework of consultations on how to make our position clear in condemning the crime committed (the assassination of Haniyeh), and in emphasizing the need to respect Iran’s sovereignty and international law, while at the same time protecting our region from catastrophic consequences.”

In 2016, Oman downgraded its relations with Tehran from ambassador to charge d'affaires and has not yet restored them to that level, in solidarity with Saudi Arabia after it severed ties with Iran, but Riyadh and Tehran resumed diplomatic relations with Chinese mediation in 2023.