Although Tehran has long supported Hamas, Iranian officials say their country was not involved in Saturday’s militant attack on its arch-enemy, Israel.
Nevertheless, the United States fears that a second front could open up on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon if Hezbollah, another well-armed Islamist group backed by Iran, intervenes.
“Officials from some countries are approaching us and asking about the possibility of a new front opening (against Israel) in the region,” Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said during a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani. Shia Sudan).
“We are telling them that our clear answer regarding future options is this: everything depends on the actions of the Zionist regime in Gaza,” he said, according to a statement from Iran’s foreign ministry.
“Even now, Israel’s crimes continue, and no one in the region asks us for permission to open new fronts,” the minister said.
Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, invading its territory and launching rocket attacks. Israel carried out retaliatory strikes on the Gaza Strip. Hamas militants killed 1.2 thousand people in Israel. people, mostly civilians, and took about 150 hostages. Israeli strikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip claimed more than 1,400 lives. people’s lives.
Since Saturday, the West has been cautious about Iran, but its leaders have warned Tehran in no uncertain terms against intervening in the war.
US President Joe Biden (Joe Biden) said on Wednesday that he “made it clear to the Iranians: Be careful”.
H. Amir-Abdollahian will travel to Lebanon from Iraq. The Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said on Wednesday it had fired rockets into Israel, which had shelled southern Lebanon.
There were similar reports earlier this week.
Speaking to his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi appealed to “all Islamic and Arab countries” for “serious convergence and cooperation to stop the Zionist regime’s crimes against the oppressed Palestinian people.”
Hamas is the Palestinian militant group that rules the Gaza Strip and has been involved in several wars with Israel since taking over the Gaza Strip in 2007. The group has been recognized as a terrorist by Israel, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom and some other countries.
Hamas is supported by Iran, financing the acquisition of weapons, supplying them and providing military training. Hamas has a political office in Qatar, where some of its leaders are based.
2.3 million people live in the Gaza Strip. people, but Israel, with the help of Egypt, has imposed a blockade on the territory since 2007 – it has restricted the entry of goods into the territory and their departure from it by water, sea or air, as well as the ability of the Palestinians themselves to leave the territory, except for a few tens of thousands of workers.
Israel’s military announced earlier Thursday that it was preparing for a ground offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, but the country’s political leaders have yet to make a decision.
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What strategies could be employed to facilitate peace negotiations in the Middle East given the current tensions?
**Interview with Dr. Sara El-Hassan, Middle East Analyst**
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us today, Dr. El-Hassan. Recent events have dramatically escalated tensions in the Middle East, especially following Israel’s airstrike into Iran after the deadly Hamas attack on Israeli territory. Can you provide us context on Iran’s role and how it might be viewed in this latest round of conflict?
**Dr. El-Hassan:** Thank you for having me. Iran’s involvement in this conflict is multi-layered. While Iranian officials, as you mentioned, have denied direct involvement in Hamas’s weekend attack on Israel, they have historically supported various militant groups in the region, including Hamas. This support often manifests in military resources and strategic advice, which raises questions about their actual influence over such groups.
**Interviewer:** Yes, and there have been concerns about a possible intervention from Hezbollah as well. What are the implications if Hezbollah opens up a second front against Israel?
**Dr. El-Hassan:** The implications could be severe. Hezbollah is a well-armed group, and if they were to join forces with Hamas, it could result in a broader conflict that extends beyond Gaza and threatens Israel’s northern border. The U.S. and other Western nations are right to be cautious; they’ve made it clear to Iran that any intervention would not be taken lightly. This could lead to a multi-front war, further destabilizing the region.
**Interviewer:** Iran’s Foreign Minister stated that any future options depend on Israel’s actions in Gaza. How do you interpret this warning?
**Dr. El-Hassan:** This statement encapsulates the precarious balance in the region. Iran is essentially signaling that any escalation or military action by Israel could provoke a response from them or their proxies, like Hezbollah. The language used indicates that Tehran is framing its actions as reactive to Israeli aggression, which is a strategic positioning in the current conflict narrative.
**Interviewer:** with the current toll of casualties increasing and civilians suffering, do you anticipate any prospects for peace negotiations or de-escalation in the near future?
**Dr. El-Hassan:** The prospects for peace are indeed bleak at this moment. The violence is cyclical, and both sides are deeply entrenched in their positions. Immediate diplomatic efforts would face significant challenges, especially given the current rhetoric from both Hamas and Israel. However, international pressure from global powers might eventually necessitate dialogue. Until then, the focus appears to be more on military responses rather than diplomatic solutions.
**Interviewer:** Thank you, Dr. El-Hassan, for your insights. It’s undoubtedly a volatile situation, and we appreciate your analysis.
**Dr. El-Hassan:** Thank you for having me. Let’s hope for a resolution that prioritizes the safety of civilians above all.
