Iran says retaliation will be proportionate and "against legitimate targets"

CBS News ^ | 01/07/2020 | Tucker Reals

[SeekAndFind]

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer on Tuesday that his country would retaliate for the U.S. strike that killed a top Iranian general, but he said that "unlike Trump" has threatened to do, the Islamic Republic will respond in a proportionate manner "against legitimate targets."

Zarif would not tell Palmer what Iran's leaders consider legitimate targets, nor when Iran would launch its retaliation.

"The international law of war is very clear about legitimate targets," he insisted, pointing Palmer to the Geneva Convention which lists such targets as military or infrastructure sites.

The U.S.-educated diplomat blasted the Trump administration as "a regime that has no respect for international law, threatens to commit war crimes — attacking cultural sites."

It was a reaction to Mr. Trump's threat over the weekend to attack 52 sites identified as targets inside Iran should the country retaliate for the U.S. airstrike that killed Major General Qassem Soleimani on Friday. Mr. Trump has insisted that the U.S. would be within its rights to strike "cultural sites" in Iran.

Palmer pressed Zarif to clarify whether Iran's response would be carried out by the Islamic Republic's military, or by its many allied proxy forces across the Middle East, such as the Hezbollah militant group based in Lebanon, or the Shiite militias it backs in Iraq. The foreign minister denied that Iran has control over such groups, and said whatever retaliation they might seek would be separate and apart from Tehran's own.

[krogers58]

In keeping with their new policy, I'd expect that the Democrats would be submitting the list of appropriate sites for the Iranians to destroy. After all, they are now allies.

As a reminder, I'd say that they should keep in mind that our military is widely recognized as the world leaders in breaking schiff.

[2CAVTrooper]

A “legitimate” targets according to them are airliners, shopping malls, schools, and other soft targets.

[2CAVTrooper]

“They’ll fire a rocket at something ...miss...and then claim a victory.”

Or use Photoshop.

[dfwgator]

“They’ll fire a rocket at something ...miss...and then claim a victory.”

[1Old Pro]

I watched the interview, they left out the part where Zarif said Iran abided by all laws. So where in their law does it say it is legal to kill your own people? The so called journalist let that one slip by, yep, real tough questions.

[Colinsky]

How many “res” should be on the front of retaliation? re-re-re-retaliation?

You're runnin' out of fools (just a little bit)
And I ain't lyin' (just a little bit)
(Re, re, re, re) when you come home
(Re, re, re, re) 'spect

[dirtymac]

Iran now hiding behind the Geneva Convention. Bombing anyone who got in the way and now they want to talk about the Geneva Convention. God! they sound more and more like Democrats.