Iran warns of risk of ‘expansion of war’ beyond Middle East
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Iran‘s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said “insecurity and instability can spread to other regions, even far away“.
PHOTO: AFP
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TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Nov 9 warned that the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, where Israel is battling Tehran-backed groups, could spill over beyond the Middle East.
“The world should know that in case of the expansion of war, its harmful effects will not be limited only to the West Asia region; insecurity and instability can spread to other regions, even far away,” Mr Araghchi said in a speech aired on state TV.
Iran’s arch-nemesis Israel has been waging a devastating war in the Gaza Strip against Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas since it launched its shock attack on Israel in October 2023.
Israel has more recently shifted its focus to Lebanon,
On Oct 26, Israel conducted air strikes
Iranian officials said Israel’s Oct 26 attack killed four soldiers and resulted in “limited damage”
Tehran has since vowed to retaliate,
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has maintained that a potential ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon could affect Iran’s response.
“If they (the Israelis)... accept a ceasefire and stop massacring the oppressed and innocent people of the region, it could affect the intensity and type of our response,” Mr Pezeshkian said early in November.
On Nov 7, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cautioned against an impulsive response to Israel.
“Israel aims to bring the conflict to Iran. We must act wisely to avoid its trap and not react instinctively,” the adviser, Mr Ali Larijani, told state television. AFP
