Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman has condemned in strong terms the Israeli assault on Rafah stressing that the move renders the global efforts to end the war futile and will only serve the individual and collective interests of Israelis.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani said the move is aimed at sabotaging international efforts to stop the regime’s genocidal war in Gaza.

The Iranian official made the remarks in a statement on Tuesday, after Israeli forces seized control of the Rafah border crossing, cutting off a vital route for humanitarian aid for an estimated 1.5 million Palestinians sheltering in the city bordering Egypt.

Kan’ani said Israel’s invasion of the crossing shows the savagery of a rogue regime holding no commitment to any international norm and threatening international peace and security.

“This move by the (Israeli) regime has been made to render international efforts at the cessation of war and ending the genocide in Gaza futile and with the sole purpose of serving the individual and collective interests of the Zionists,” he said.

The Iranian official reiterated that the key to peace and security in the region is the “immediate and unconditional” cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.

He urged all international actors to mount pressure on the Israeli regime to stop the war.

Kan’ani said the responsibility for the crimes and bloodshed in Rafah lies with the Israeli regime and its main supporter, the United States.

“Iran once again calls on the international legal institutions to investigate the crimes against humanity committed by the apartheid regime and to bring its leaders to trial.”

The Israeli military seized control of the Rafah border crossing after advancing during the night through heavy bombardment of residential areas.

The regime says it would continue the operation in Rafah regardless of an agreement by the resistance movement Hamas to a ceasefire proposal put forward by Qatari and Egyptian mediators.

About 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering in Rafah. The city had been designated a “safe zone” by the Israeli military.

Palestinians are now struggling to evacuate Rafah since the Israeli military dropped leaflets ordering them to leave.

UN agencies and humanitarian organizations are cautioning about the severe impact of an Israeli military operation in Rafah.