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Iran Warns Of Risk Of ‘Expansion Of War’ Beyond Middle East

On Thursday, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cautioned against an impulsive response to Israel.

By Channels Television
Updated November 9, 2024
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A handout picture provided by the office of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on October 27, 2024, shows him addressing the crowd during a meeting in Tehran. – Khamenei said on October 27 that Israel’s attack on the Islamic republic “should neither be exaggerated nor minimised”, a day after Israeli warplanes struck military bases and missile sites in several Iranian provinces, killing two soldiers. (Photo by KHAMENEI.IR / AFP) / === RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / HO / KHAMENEI.IR” – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS ===

 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday warned that the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, where Israel is battling Tehran-backed groups, could spill over beyond the Middle East.

“The world should know that in case of the expansion of war, its harmful effects will not be limited only to the West Asia region; insecurity and instability can spread to other regions, even far away,” Araghchi said in speech aired on state TV.

 

Supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv hold flags at Dam square ahead of the Europa League football match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv, in Amsterdam on November 7, 2024. (Photo by Jeroen Jumelet / ANP / AFP)

 

Iran’s arch-nemesis Israel has been waging a devastating war in the Gaza Strip against Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas since it launched its shock attack on Israel in October 2023.

Israel has more recently shifted its focus to Lebanon, where it has been engaged in a full-fledged battle since September with Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group which is financially and militarily supported by the Islamic Republic.

 

A man takes photos with his phone of the destruction at the site of an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut on November 7, 2024. – Israel launched fresh strikes on south Beirut early November 7, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US president-elect Donald Trump spoke about the “Iranian threat”. (Photo by AFP)

 

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On October 26, Israel conducted air strikes on military sites in Iran in response to Tehran’s October 1 attack on Israel, itself retaliation for the killing of Iran-backed militant leaders and a Revolutionary Guards general.

Iranian officials said Israel’s October 26 attack killed four soldiers and resulted in “limited damage” to radar systems. Iranian media also reported that a civilian was killed.

 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is escorted upon his arrival in Doha on October 24, 2024. – Blinken arrived on October 24 to key Hamas mediator Qatar as he seeks momentum to end the Gaza war following Israel’s killing of the group’s leader. (Photo by Nathan Howard / POOL / AFP)

 

Tehran has since vowed to retaliate despite the US and Israel’s warning against it.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has maintained that a potential ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon could affect Iran’s response.

“If they (the Israelis)… accept a ceasefire and stop massacring the oppressed and innocent people of the region, it could affect the intensity and type of our response,” Pezeshkian said early this month.

 

Palestinian and foreign volunteers help in olive picking during the harvest season in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, on October 15, 2024. (Photo by Zain JAAFAR / AFP)

 

On Thursday, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cautioned against an impulsive response to Israel.

“Israel aims to bring the conflict to Iran. We must act wisely to avoid its trap and not react instinctively,” the adviser, Ali Larijani, told state television.

 

AFP

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