Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has said his country will not heed the recent US call on other nations to refrain from becoming involved in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, arguing that the “Zionist regime’s crimes have crossed the red lines.”
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, Raisi warned that the latest developments in and around Gaza “may force everyone to take action.” He pointed out that Washington, while urging other states to exercise restraint, keeps “giving widespread support to Israel.”
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In an interview with Bloomberg TV on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian cautioned that the continued bloodshed in Gaza “will make the situation get out of control in the region.”
“The American side should decide – does it really want to escalate, intensify the war?” the diplomat said. He added that “new fronts” appearing against Israel was “unavoidable.”
Addressing the UN General Assembly on Thursday, Amir-Abdollahian issued similar warnings, saying that the US would “not be spared from this fire” if Israel’s “genocide” against the Palestinian people continued. The minister emphasized that “West Asia is our region,” with Tehran having “no reservations when it comes to our home’s security.”
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US President Joe Biden has pledged that the US will “stand forever” with Israel, with Washington providing billions of dollars in additional defense aid to its ally. The US has also deployed two aircraft carrier groups and other naval assets, a squadron of F-16 fighter jets, air defense systems, and 900 troops to the Middle East, saying that this increased military presence should serve as a deterrent to other states tempted to join the fray.
On Friday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) revealed that it was “expanding ground operations” in the Palestinian enclave after days of relentless air and missile attacks.
Hostilities in the region broke out on October 7 when Hamas militants staged a surprise incursion and subjected Israel to heavy missile fire. Israel responded with massive airstrikes, with its ground forces recently entering Gaza in isolated raids.
The conflict has so far left more than 1,400 Israelis and over 7,000 Palestinians dead, with thousands more injured.