Iran’s top diplomat warned Israel and the US on Sunday that if Israel does not stop its attacks on Gaza, the Middle East “will go out of control.”
“I warn the US and its proxy (Israel) … that if they do not immediately stop the crime against humanity and genocide in Gaza, anything is possible at any moment and the region will go out of control,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said during a joint press conference in Tehran with his South African counterpart.
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Amir-Abdollahian likened the current state of the region to a metaphorical powder keg, saying any “miscalculation” in the ongoing conflict could result in “heavy and bitter consequences for the interests of the warmongers.”
The latest escalation began when Hamas militants crossed into Israel from its southern border on October 7, killing more than 1,400 people. Israel has responded with relentless air and artillery strikes on Gaza that have killed more than 4,600 people.
Tehran, a key source of financial and military support for Hamas, praised the October 7 Hamas attack while denying any involvement in its planning or execution.
Israel has long accused Iran of exacerbating violence by supplying arms to Hamas. Tehran refuses to recognize Israel and has made support for the Palestinian cause a fundamental component of its foreign policy since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
For years, Iran and Israel have engaged in a covert conflict, with Iran accusing Israel of orchestrating sabotage attacks and assassinations targeting its nuclear program.
