Iran Threatens a Regional War Against Israel Over Entering Gaza

Iran threatened a regional attack on Israel, including by Tehran, unless Israel Defense Forces stopped attacking Gaza from the air, as Israel Defense Forces fight a war on both its southern and northern borders.

“If the Zionists do not stop their crimes and criminal attacks on the people of Gaza, no one can guarantee that the war will not spread across the region,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said.

According to a story initially published by the Walla news site and confirmed by The Jerusalem Post, Iran has issued public warnings and delivered a confidential message to Israel through the United Nations that it may interfere if Israel continues its military campaign to drive Hamas out of Gaza.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian met with UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland in Beirut on Saturday to discuss the situation.

Later, Amirabdollahian met with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar, where they reviewed the Palestinian terrorist group’s deadly strike in Israel “and agreed to continue cooperation” to fulfil the group’s aims, according to Hamas.

The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations said on Saturday the following statement: “If the Israeli apartheid’s war crimes [and] genocide are not halted immediately, the situation could spiral out of control [and] ricochet far-reaching consequences, the responsibility of which lies with the UN, the Security Council & the states steering the Council towards a dead end.”

In a phone discussion with his counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Sunday, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi urged France to assist “prevent oppression” of Palestinians.

The two leaders talked on the ninth day of the battle, called Operation Swords of Iron by Israel, to evict Hamas’ military wing and administration from the Gaza Strip in retaliation to the slaughter of 1,300 civilians and soldiers and the kidnapping of over 150 persons on October 7th. IDF bombings have killed almost 2,400 Palestinians.

The US and other major powers have engaged in a cycle of rigorous diplomacy in an effort to limit the violence and ensure that Hamas, an Iranian proxy group, remains the only violently involved actor with Israel.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has been in the region since Thursday, travelling between Israel and Arab states, has attempted to calm the situation and secure the hostages’ release.
Netanyahu, Khamenei, and Amiabdollahian all make angry speeches.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to “demolish Hamas” as his forces prepared to enter Gaza. Israel has accused Iran of being implicated in the October 7 attack, despite the fact that Israel has no concrete evidence of Iran’s immediate involvement.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of Iran stated on Tuesday that Tehran was not engaged in the militant Hamas group’s attack on Israel, but he praised Israel’s “irreparable” military and intelligence setback.

Amiabdollahian, who accused Israel of committing “genocide” by enforcing a stranglehold on the Gaza Strip last week, said a strike on Gaza would “open new fronts of resistance” in the Middle East.

“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),” he stated.
According to Sullivan, the US has always focused on discouraging Iran.

On CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday morning, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated that the US has been concerned about Iran from the beginning and has advised them not to become involved.

“It moved an aircraft carrier into the eastern Mediterranean to deter future attacks,” he stated. “We have private communication channels with Iran.” And we have used those measures in the last several days to make clear privately what we have said publicly,” Sullivan said.

In reaction to Iranian threats of involvement, US President Joe Biden has publicly stated that he has only one thing to say: “Don’t.”

Sullivan was quoted as saying, “There is a risk of an escalation of this conflict, the opening of a second front in the north, and of course of Iran’s involvement- that is a risk.”

The Biden administration has been “aware” of the threat “from the beginning.” “That’s why the President is moving so quickly and decisively to get an aircraft carrier into the eastern Mediterranean,” Sullivan said.

President Joe Biden intended “to send a very clear message of deterrence to any state or any actor that would seek to exploit this situation,” he said. Concerns about Hezbollah are also widespread.

However, there is also concern that strikes by Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy group on Israel’s northern border, could turn into a full-fledged front in the war.

“We’re worried about proxy forces.” “There is a raid on Israel’s northern border by Lebanese Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy force with considerable military capability and a history of attacking the State of Israel,” Sullivan said Face the Nation.

“In fact, we’ve seen skirmishes across that northern border in recent days, which only adds to the risk of escalation.” But, of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that Iran will choose to become actively involved in some form; we must prepare for every potential contingency.” Sullivan

Wennesland is one of many diplomats who have fought to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, secure the release of hostages, and a regional war against the Jewish State.
Erdan disagrees with Wennesland.

However, Israel’s UN Ambassador, Gilad Erdan, took issue with Wennesland’s meeting with Amirabdollahian, which the UN did not publicise.

He chastised Wennesland for failing to rebuke Iran for its role in aiding Hamas.

“Don’t forget to wash the blood of Israeli babies off your hands after that handshake,” Erdan stated in a message to Wennesland on X.

“Today (!!! ), senior UN official Tor Wennesland not only met with the Iranian regime’s Foreign Minister, but also failed to condemn Iran for its role in the massacre of Israeli women and children.” “It goes without saying that Hamas terrorists openly thank Iran for funding, arming, and training them,” Erdan wrote.

“At the SAME TIME, Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, openly urged the Muslim world to broaden the attack on Israel.”

“The UN’s support for and legitimization of genocidal terrorists is a threat to civilization!,” Erdan stated in a statement.

In response, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, stated, “All of the Special Coordinator’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 recent contacts with him in Lebanon.”