Warnings from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "The situation may get out of control."
The Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, warned Israel and the USA on Sunday that the situation in the Middle East could "spiral out of control" unless they immediately cease "crimes against humanity and genocide in the Gaza Strip.
10:40 AM EDT, October 22, 2023
- Today, this region has become a powder keg. (...) I want to warn the United States and the puppet regime in Israel that if they do not immediately stop crimes against humanity and genocide in Gaza, anything can become possible at any moment, and the (situation) in the region will get out of control - said Amir-Abdollahian.
Last week, the minister called for "global unity" against Israel, which is a "regime more hated than the Islamic State" on platform X. Tehran also appealed to Arab countries that have established relations with Israel to sever them.
Hezbollah is drawing Lebanon into conflict
The spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), Jonathan Conricus, announced on Sunday that Hezbollah is escalating the conflict on the Lebanese-Israeli border and is drawing Lebanon into a war that will bring it no benefits, but could bring significant losses.
- Is the Lebanese state really ready to risk what remains of its prosperity and sovereignty for terrorists from Gaza, or the Islamic State from Gaza? Such a question must be posed by the authorities of Lebanon and to which they must respond - stated Conricus.
As commented by AFP agency, tension on the Lebanese-Israeli border significantly escalated on Saturday evening when the IDF shelled Hezbollah in the southern part of the country, where an anti-aircraft missile was fired towards an Israeli drone. Earlier, a spokesperson reported Israeli air raids on Hezbollah positions in response to rocket attacks on northern Israel. During the attacks, three Israeli soldiers were injured.
Supported by Iran, Hezbollah reported that during an exchange of fire with the Israeli military, four of its fighters were killed on Saturday, increasing the group's death toll to 17.
Hezbollah significantly intensified its attacks after the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. On Thursday, 20 rockets were launched from Lebanon towards Israel, with the IDF responding with artillery fire. As highlighted by the British newspaper "Financial Times", there are growing concerns about the escalation of conflicts on a new front that have already intensified after Hamas' attack on Israel from October 7.
