16 October 2023; MEMO: Iran sent a message to Israel via the UN yesterday, that it doesn’t want to see further escalation in the conflict with Gaza.
According to Axios, citing two diplomatic sources familiar with the matter, the message emphasised that if the occupying forces proceed with their proposed ground invasion of the Strip, Tehran would feel compelled to intervene.
The sources added that Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met with UN envoy to the Middle East Tor Wennesland yesterday in Beirut, who urged the Iranian diplomat to help prevent a spillover of the conflict into the wider region, amid border clashes between Hezbollah and Israel, and the latter’s acts of aggression against Syria.
The report said the Abdollahian insisted that Iran has its red lines, saying that if the Israeli military aggression continues, especially if it goes ahead with a planned ground offensive in Gaza, “Iran will have to respond,” the sources say.
Wennesland reportedly called Israeli national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and other officials and conveyed Iran’s message. Wennesland’s office confirmed he met with Abdollahian yesterday, saying the pair discussed “diplomatic efforts to release hostages, de-escalate and prevent a spillover of the conflict to the wider region.”
OPINION: Not Hamas-Israeli conflict: The Palestinian cause belongs to the world
Responding to questions about the Axios report, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said: “All of (Wennesland’s) meetings have been to discuss diplomatic efforts to release hostages, secure humanitarian access and prevent a spillover of the conflict to the wider region. This includes his recent meetings in Lebanon.”
Also yesterday, Iran’s mission to the UN in a post on X warned that if Israel’s “war crimes and genocide” are not stopped, then the situation could spiral out of control, leading to “far-reaching consequences.”
Abdollahian has been on several visits to neighbouring countries, including entities considered to be part of the Axis of Resistance. After a brief official visit to Baghdad, he arrived in Lebanon on Thursday, meeting with Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and representatives from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
This was followed by a trip to Damascus on Friday from the Lebanese land border, after Israeli strikes against Damascus and Aleppo airports rendered them inoperable. The foreign minister also travelled to Doha where he held talks with his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani to discuss bilateral ties and the situation in Gaza.
