Iran, which welcomed the operation carried out by Hamas against Israel, has increased its warnings to Israel and the Hebrew state against the opening of new fronts if the Israeli army continues its operations against Gaza.
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During a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, the Iranian president issued a clear warning against the continuation of operations by the Israeli army against the Gaza Strip, reports our correspondent in Tehran, Siavosh Ghazi. “ If the crimes of the Zionist regime against the people of Gaza do not stop, the situation will become more complicated and the battlefield will expand “, declared the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ebrahim Raissi.
For his part, Emmanuel Macron warned his counterpart against “ any escalation or extension » of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, particularly in Lebanon, the Élysée announced on Sunday. “ Iran, given its relations with Hezbollah and Hamas, has a responsibility in this regard. Iran must do everything possible to avoid any regional conflagration », Said the French presidency in a press release.
“ The situation in the entire region is like a powder keg and there is a risk of a terrible explosion at any moment and the situation will spiral out of control. ”, for his part declared Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran. The head of Iranian diplomacy met with the leader of Lebanese Hezbollah as well as leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad to provide Iran’s support. Iran’s regional allies appear ready to open other fronts, particularly on the border between Lebanon and Israel but also from Syria, to put pressure on the Jewish state as it prepares to launch a ground offensive in Gaza.
The Islamic Republic financially and militarily supports Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement which launched a bloody attack against Israel on October 7, triggering a deadly war in the Gaza Strip. However, she rejects the accusations of her involvement in the attack.
Washington also fears an escalation
The United States also fears a “ escalation » of the conflict, said White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday during an interview with CBS. Joe Biden’s adviser said the United States cannot ” rule out the hypothesis that Iran decides to get directly involved in one way or another “. “ That’s why the president acted so quickly and decisively to move an aircraft carrier to the Eastern Mediterranean, to have aircraft in the Gulf, because he sent a very clear message to any state or entity that would seek to take advantage of this situation », Declared the White House national security adviser.
For his part, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi declared that “ The deep root […] of the situation between Palestine and Israel is that the right of the Palestinian people to sovereignty has long been set aside » during a telephone interview with Hossein Amir Abdollahian, according to an official Chinese report.
(And with AFP)