Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned on Saturday that the war in Gaza and Lebanon, where Israel is fighting Tehran-backed groups, could spread beyond the Middle East.
“The world must know that in the event of an expansion of the war, its harmful effects will not be limited to the West Asia region only; insecurity and instability could spread to other regions as well,” Araghchi said in a speech broadcast on state TV. ,
Iran’s arch enemy Israel has been waging a devastating war in the Gaza Strip against Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas since it launched its surprise attack on Israel in October 2023.
Israel has recently turned its attention to Lebanon, where it has been engaged since September in a full-scale battle with the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah, which is economically and militarily backed by the Islamic Republic.
On October 26, Israel launched airstrikes on military sites in Iran in response to Tehran’s October 1 attack on Israel, which was retaliation for the killing of Iran-backed terrorist leaders and a Revolutionary Guards general.
Iranian officials said Israel’s October 26 attack killed four soldiers and caused “limited damage” to radar systems. Iranian media also reported that one civilian died.
Tehran has since vowed to retaliate despite warnings from the US and Israel.
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian has said that a possible ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon could influence Iran’s response.
“If they (the Israelis) … accept a ceasefire and stop massacring the oppressed and innocent people of the region, that could affect the intensity and type of our response,” Pezeshkian said earlier this month. Is.”
On Thursday, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cautioned Israel against an impulsive reaction.
“Israel’s goal is to bring conflict to Iran. We must act wisely to avoid its trap and not react instinctively,” adviser Ali Larijani told state television.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
