Iran warned in a post on social media that if Israel’s “war crimes and genocide” aren’t stopped, the situation might spiral out of control with “far-reaching consequences.”
The post on X, formerly known as Twitter, by Iran’s mission to the United Nations, followed a Saturday Axios report that Tehran warned Israel — in a message sent via the U.N. — that it would be forced to respond if Israel conducts a ground offensive in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
“If the Israeli apartheid’s war crimes & genocide are not halted immediately, the situation could spiral out of control & ricochet far-reaching consequences — the responsibility of which lies with the U.N., the Security Council & the states steering the Council toward a dead end,” posted Iran’s U.N. mission.
Sunday, Iran made it official. Iran warned Israel of the escalation if it failed to end aggressions against Palestinians, with its foreign minister saying that other regional parties were ready to act, the semi-official Fars news agency reported Sunday.
“If the Zionist aggressions do not stop, the hands of all parties in the region are on the trigger,” said Hossein Amirabdollahian.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, vowed Sunday to “demolish Hamas” as his military prepared to move into the Gaza Strip in search of Islamist militants whose deadly rampage through border towns in Israel shocked the world.
“The responsibility for the possible opening of new fronts of resistance in the region and any escalation of today’s war directly falls on the United States and the Zionist regime (Israel),” said Amirabdollahian.
Amirabdollahian met with Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas leader, in Qatar on Saturday, where they discussed the Palestinian militant group’s deadly attack in Israel “and agreed to continue cooperation” to achieve the goals of the group, said the Iran-backed Hamas in a statement.
Iran’s president urged France to help “prevent aggression” against Palestinians
Earlier, Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s president, urged France to help “prevent aggression” of Palestinians in a phone call with Emmanuel Macron.
Israeli artillery and jets have already subjected Gaza to an intense bombardment, putting the enclave, home to 2.3 Palestinians, under a complete siege. Authorities in Gaza say over 2,200 people have been killed.
The U.S. has been working to keep Iran out of the conflict, and broader international diplomacy has focused on preventing the war from spreading — in particular, to Lebanon — and sparking a regional war.
Lebanon’s heavily armed Hezbollah group, backed by Iran, has clashed with Israel across the Lebanese border several times in the past week in the deadliest confrontations since they fought a 2006 months-long war.
Saturday, Tor Wennesland, U.N. Middle East peace envoy, met with Iran’s Amirabdollahian in Beirut, said the United Nations. Amirabdollahian then met with Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar, according to Al Jazeera T.V.
When asked about the Axios report, spokesman for the U.N., Stephane Dujarric, said, “All of (Wennesland’s) meetings have been to discuss diplomatic efforts to release hostages, secure humanitarian access, and prevent a spillover of the conflict to the wider region. This includes his recent meetings in Lebanon.”
Israel’s mission to the U.N. declined to comment on the Axios report or Iran’s social media post.
