TEHRAN: The head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards described the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a former defence minister as the “end and political death” of Israel, in a speech, AFP reports.

“This means the end and political death of the Zionist regime, a regime that today lives in absolute political isolation in the world and its officials can no longer travel to other countries,” Revolutionary Guards chief General Hossein Salami said in the speech aired on state TV.

In the first official reaction by Iran, Salami called the ICC warrant “a welcome move” and a “great victory for the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance movements,” both supported by the Islamic republic.

The spokesperson for the United Nations secretary-general says that the UN does respect the decision of the International Criminal Court, and he called on member states to uphold their obligations under international law, Al Jazeera reports.

“Practically speaking, however, this will have little impact on the UN’s role in providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine,” Al Jazeera’s Kristen Saloomey reports from the UN Headquarters, New York City.

The spokesperson said that UN officials may need to continue their contact with these indicted Israeli officials in order to fulfil their mandates. But that contact is allowed under UN rules.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said he would invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Hungary, saying he would guarantee that an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Netanyahu would “not be observed”, Reuters reports.