Iran: Tehran Not a 'Bystander' if Political Solutions Aren't Found in Gaza

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Facts

  • On Sunday, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian suggested Tehran will not be a bystander to the Israel-Hamas conflict if a political solution is not found regarding Israel's operations in Gaza.1
  • Though he expressed optimism that 'political efforts will prevent the war from expanding,' Amir-Abdollahian stated that Iran could not remain a 'spectator' to the situation if it were to continue.2
  • The foreign minister also met with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar on Saturday, commenting that if Israel did enter Gaza, the group would 'turn it [Gaza] into a graveyard of the occupation soldiers.'3
  • Calling it a responsibility of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to prevent the conflict from spiraling 'out of control,' Amir-Abdollahian said any escalation of the war would 'open new fronts of resistance' in the Middle East.4
  • This comes after Iranian Pres. Ebrahim Raisi accused Israel of committing a 'genocide of the Palestinians,' and called on both Islamic and Arab countries to form a united front against Tel Aviv.5
  • Though White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has suggested that no new intelligence indicates Iran could escalate the Israel-Hamas conflict, the White House has warned Tehran not to intervene and worsen the regional war.1

Sources: 1Forbes, 2PressTV, 3Al Jazeera, 4The Jerusalem Post and 5The New Arab.

Narratives

  • Pro-Iran narrative, as provided by Associated Press. Unlike the Western nations, Iran has been working on de-escalating the conflict. However, Israel's actions against Gaza must stop or the war could spill across borders. The responsibility and far-reaching consequences of Hezbollah and other actors joining the battle to protect the Palestinians directly fall on the US and Israel.
  • Anti-Iran narrative, as provided by Bloomberg. Tehran, which supports both Hamas and Hezbollah, shouldn't attempt to join the Israel-Hamas war or exploit the situation in Gaza, as any further escalation in the Middle East would be catastrophic. An all-out diplomatic push must be made to keep Iran on the sidelines.

Predictions