Iran Warns US of Opening ‘New Fronts’

A photo released by the Iranian army shows missile launches during annual military maneuvers in the Isfahan province, central Iran, on Saturday (AFP)
A photo released by the Iranian army shows missile launches during annual military maneuvers in the Isfahan province, central Iran, on Saturday (AFP)
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Iran Warns US of Opening ‘New Fronts’

A photo released by the Iranian army shows missile launches during annual military maneuvers in the Isfahan province, central Iran, on Saturday (AFP)
A photo released by the Iranian army shows missile launches during annual military maneuvers in the Isfahan province, central Iran, on Saturday (AFP)

Iran has issued more warnings to the US as conflict escalates in Gaza, amid concerns that Tehran may become directly embroiled in a military confrontation with Washington.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned that new fronts will be opened against the US if it continues to support Israel in its war on Hamas in Gaza.

Abdollahian further cautioned that the Israeli ground operation in Gaza would have “dire consequences” for Israel, urging the US to decide whether they truly want to escalate the war.

The top diplomat did not provide specific details regarding the “consequences” Iran might take in the future, denying Tehran had ordered its affiliated groups in Syria and Iraq to target US forces in recent days.

Speaking with Bloomberg on Friday, he stated that the groups act independently and have not received any orders from Tehran.

“Opening of new fronts will be unavoidable and that will put Israel in a new situation that will make it regret its actions,” said Abdollahian.

“This has reached the point of explosion. Anything is possible and any front can be opened up,” he added.

“We have not deployed any new forces, either in Syria or in other parts of the region, but we have not merely been spectators of what is happening,” reminded Abdollahian.

“In accordance with our national interests, Iran will take necessary actions,” he stressed.

Moreover, he recommended that Hamas release the civilian prisoners it is holding. The group has so far released four.

The state-run ISNA agency cited Abdollahian as stating to journalists in New York that the absence of a workable political solution in the near future could potentially lead to unpredictable developments.

He met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, emphasizing that “efforts are focused on how to reach political solutions.”



7 more Turkish Soldiers Die from Methane Gas in Iraqi Cave, Raising Deaths to 12

FILE PHOTO: A Turkish flag flies on a passenger ferry with the Bosphorus in the background in Istanbul, Türkiye, January 27, 2020. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
FILE PHOTO: A Turkish flag flies on a passenger ferry with the Bosphorus in the background in Istanbul, Türkiye, January 27, 2020. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
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7 more Turkish Soldiers Die from Methane Gas in Iraqi Cave, Raising Deaths to 12

FILE PHOTO: A Turkish flag flies on a passenger ferry with the Bosphorus in the background in Istanbul, Türkiye, January 27, 2020. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
FILE PHOTO: A Turkish flag flies on a passenger ferry with the Bosphorus in the background in Istanbul, Türkiye, January 27, 2020. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

Seven more Turkish soldiers have died from methane gas poisoning following a cave search operation in northern Iraq, Türkiye's Defense Ministry said Monday, bringing the death toll to 12. The soldiers had been searching for the remains of a fellow soldier previously killed by Kurdish militants.

The troops were searching a mountain cave when 19 of them were exposed to the gas, according to the ministry. Five of the soldiers died Sunday from the colorless, odorless, flammable gas that can cause asphyxiation in sufficient concentration, and seven more succumbed on Monday, Reuters reported.

“We pray for God’s mercy upon our heroic martyrs who lost their lives in this tragic event,” the ministry said Monday, also expressing hope for a rapid recovery for other troops that were affected.

It said Defense Minister Yasar Guler and armed forces' commanders were traveling to the region to carry out “inspections and evaluations” and attend a ceremony as the soldiers were flown to their hometowns for burial.

Speaking at the ceremony, Guler commended the troops' “great courage and sacrifice,” adding: “Our grief is immense and our feelings are beyond words.”

The ministry said the incident took place in the “Claw-Lock Operation region” — a reference to an operation launched against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, in northern Iraq in April 2022.

There was no immediate information on the condition of the seven other soldiers who were affected by the gas.

Türkiye and the PKK have waged a 40-year conflict that has often spilled over into Iraq and Syria. Türkiye has set up a series of bases in northern Iraq, where the PKK has been established for decades.

The PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by Türkiye and most of the West, announced in May that it would disband and renounce armed conflict as part of a new peace initiative with Türkiye.

Its fighters are expected to begin handing over their weapons over the next few days in the first concrete move toward disarmament.

According to the ministry, the Turkish unit overcome by methane gas had been searching for the remains of an infantry officer killed by “terrorist gunfire” during a search-and-clear mission in May 2022. Recovery teams have been scouring the area for the past three years.

The cave where the incident occurred sits at an altitude of 852 meters (2,795 feet) and had previously been used by the PKK as a field hospital.