Publicly, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian issued a warning to Israel, cautioning them about a potential attack by Hezbollah that he claimed would cause a ‘huge earthquake.
This warning comes in response to Israel’s strikes on Gaza, controlled by Hamas, following a surprise attack where Hamas killed over 1,300 Israelis and kidnapped 150 last Saturday.
Amir-Abdollahian also sent a private warning to Israel through the United Nations, stating that Iran would take action if Israel were to launch an invasion of Gaza. This information was confirmed by Axios.
Amir-Abdollahian issued his warnings during a diplomatic visit to Beirut, Lebanon, on Saturday, where he held meetings with both Hamas and Palestinian leaders, as well as UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland.
As reported by Axios:
Iran sent a message to Israel on Saturday stressing that it does not want further escalation in the Hamas-Israel war, but that it will have to intervene if the Israeli operation in Gaza continues, two diplomatic sources with knowledge of the situation told Axios.
…Wennesland urged Amir-Abdollahian to help prevent a spillover of the conflict in Gaza and Israel to the wider region in the Middle East.
The Iranian foreign minister replied that Iran doesn’t want the conflict to turn into a regional war and wants to try and help with the release of civilians who are being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.
But Amir-Abdollahian stressed that Iran has its redlines. He said that if the Israeli military operation continues — and especially if Israel follows through on its promise of a ground offensive in Gaza — Iran will have to respond, according to the sources.
Wennesland called Israeli national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and other officials and conveyed Iran’s message, the sources said.
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