عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Iran Says Expansion of Gaza War 'Inevitable'

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (Reuters)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (Reuters)
TT
TT

Iran Says Expansion of Gaza War 'Inevitable'

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (Reuters)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (Reuters)

Iran warned the scale of civilian suffering caused by Israel's war on Hamas would inevitably lead to an expansion of the conflict.

The comments from Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian could ramp up concerns over whether Washington's diplomatic efforts and deployment of US naval forces to the eastern Mediterranean will be able to keep the conflict from further destabilizing the Middle East.

"Due to the expansion of the intensity of the war against Gaza's civilian residents, expansion of the scope of the war has become inevitable," Reuters quoted Amir-Abdollahian telling his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Thursday night.

Iran's state-run Press TV reported the comments, made during a telephone conversation, on Friday.

Israel's bombardment and siege of Gaza over the past month has created a humanitarian catastrophe with thousands seeking medical treatment and shelter in the few hospitals still open, with those in the combat zone operating in grave danger.

Israel says 1,400 people were killed and about 240 taken hostage by Hamas in the Oct.7 raid that triggered the Israeli assault. Israel says it has lost 35 soldiers in Gaza.

Palestinian officials said 10,812 Gaza residents had been killed as of Thursday, about 40% of them children, in air and artillery strikes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most Viewed

 
 
World

China Says Philippine Plan to Deploy Midrange Missiles Would Be 'Extremely Irresponsible'

A Chinese national flag flutters on a financial street in Beijing. (Reuters)
A Chinese national flag flutters on a financial street in Beijing. (Reuters)
TT
TT

China Says Philippine Plan to Deploy Midrange Missiles Would Be 'Extremely Irresponsible'

A Chinese national flag flutters on a financial street in Beijing. (Reuters)
A Chinese national flag flutters on a financial street in Beijing. (Reuters)

China said a plan by the Philippines to deploy midrange missiles would be a provocative move that stokes regional tensions.
The Philippines top army official told reporters in Manila earlier on Monday that the military plans to acquire a midrange system to defend the country’s territory amid tensions with China in the South China Sea.
“Yes, there are plans, there are negotiations, because we see its feasibility and adaptability,” Lt. Gen. Roy Galido said.
The US deployed its Typhon midrange missile system in the northern Philippines in April and troops from both countries have been training jointly for the potential use of the heavy weaponry.
China opposes US military assistance to the Philippines and has been particularly alarmed by the deployment of the Typhon system. Under President Joe Biden, the US has strengthened an arc of military alliances in the Indo-Pacific to counter China, including in any confrontation over Taiwan.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that deployment of the weapon by the Philippines would intensify geopolitical confrontation and an arms race.
“It is an extremely irresponsible choice for the history and people of itself and the whole of Southeast Asia, as well as for the security of the region,” she told a daily briefing.
The Philippines would not necessarily buy the Typhon system, Galido said.
The army is working not only with the United States but with other friendly countries on a long list of weapons platforms that it plans to acquire, he said.
The Philippines defense plan includes protecting its exclusive economic zone, which reaches 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers).
“It is paramount for the army to be able to project its force up to that extent, in coordination, of course, with the Philippine navy and the Philippine air force," Galido said.