Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, has stated that an inevitable expansion of the war in Gaza is due to Israel’s heightened aggression against Gaza’s civilian residents. He made the statement in a phone conversation with Qatar’s foreign minister on Friday. It is unclear what he meant by an “inevitable expansion” of the conflict. Additionally, he mentioned on social media that time is running out for Israel’s crimes to continue.
Regional tension and cross-border clashes have intensified since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, triggering Israel’s war on the enclave. This has also led to attacks between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah armed group, as well as Iran-backed forces targeting US and coalition troops in Iraq and Syria. Yemen’s Houthi movement has also launched missile and drone attacks on Israel. In response, the US has deployed a nuclear-capable submarine in the Middle East as a show of force to regional rivals, particularly Iran.