Iran’s foreign minister has warned that the war in Gaza could lead to a “big explosion” of conflicts in the Middle East, with Lebanon and Yemen already “involved” and more countries poised to join.
“At least every week, we receive a message from the U.S. telling us that U.S. bases in Syria and Iraq are targeted by some groups,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian told the Doha Forum on Monday.
“At any moment, there is a possibility of a big explosion in the region, one not controllable by any party,” he explained via translator. The ominous warning follows the U.S. veto of a United Nations Security Council resolution to seek an immediate cease-fire.
U.S. Deputy Permanent Representative Robert A. Wood called the demand for an unconditional cease-fire “dangerous” and “a recipe for disaster for Israel, for Palestinians and for the entire region.”
The U.K. abstained from voting. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres had issued a letter to the Security Council in a rare use of Article 99 of the organization’s charter over concerns of “a collapse of the humanitarian system” in Gaza as Israel continues “intense” fighting in the territory.
Amirabdollahian instead accused the U.S. of perpetuating the conflict with its support of Israel and “the Zionist regime.” He called attacks on U.S. troops by Iran’s proxies, the Houthis and Hezbollah, tantamount to “defending the Arab and Muslim people of Gaza.”
“That’s why they are targeting U.S. bases in Syria and Iraq,” the foreign minister argued, according to The Jerusalem Post. The militant groups have launched a total of 90 attacks against U.S. bases and troops in the Middle East since Oct. 17 and several attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea, including the hijacking of a cargo ship earlier this month.
