Iran’s top diplomat warned about “far-fetching repercussions” for Israel and the US
KHAN YUNIS, GAZA – OCTOBER 22: Palestinian emergency services and local citizens search for victims in buildings destroyed during Israeli air raids © Getty Images News
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has accused the US of waging a “proxy war against Palestinians” and warned that the situation will get out of hand if the bombardment of Gaza is not stopped and Israel launches the ground assault it is preparing for.
Speaking at the joint press conference with his South African counterpart Naledi Pandor in Tehran on Sunday, the Iranian top diplomat said that it was a “bitter and unfortunate reality” that US President Joe Biden made an “extraordinary wartime visit” to Tel Aviv this week to show support for the Benjamin Netanyahu government amid the bombardment of the Palestinian enclave and lack of humanitarian aid.
“It’s a great shame that the American president announced that the US would dispatch hundreds of planes, ships and trucks filled with military equipment to the occupied territories to support the mass murder that Israel is committing in Gaza but has managed to coordinate plans for only 20 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to enter the besieged enclave,” he noted.
Amir-Abdollahian called the situation in the region a “powder keg” and warned of “heavy and bitter consequences.”
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“If the US and the Israeli regime do not stop their crimes against humanity immediately, there will be a possibility of anything at any moment and the region may spin out of control,” Amir-Abdollahian argued.
Speaking to ABC News on Sunday, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also warned about “the prospect of a significant escalation.” He vowed to do everything necessary to protect the American forces stationed in the region and continue Washington’s support for its longtime ally Israel.
Israel began conducting airstrikes on Gaza on October 7, after Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups launched a deadly surprise attack on its territory.
