Iran warns of war expansion if Israeli war crimes against Palestinians continue

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) – Iran has warned of war expansion in the region if Israeli forces continue to commit war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian spoke by phone with European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell about the latest developments on Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said late Saturday.

“If the war crimes committed by the Israeli regime in Gaza and the West Bank are not stopped, the scope of the war in the region is likely to deepen and expand,” Abdollahian warned.

Abdollahian stressed the need to “stop the military attacks launched by the Zionist regime against the residents of Gaza,” the statement said.

He emphasized that his country rejects “Israel’s plans and practices to forcibly remove Palestinians from their lands”.

Borrell also stressed the importance of reducing tensions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as soon as possible.

He said the European Union is trying to ensure Israel’s compliance with international laws of war.

“We believe that the solution to the Palestinian issue lies in focusing on the diplomatic track,” Borrell was quoted as saying in the Iranian Foreign Ministry statement.

He also agreed with the top Iranian diplomat that “the continuation of military attacks will lead to an escalation of the crisis.”

During their conversations, the two leaders also exchanged views on the cooperation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Israel has killed more than 15,200 Palestinians, most of them children and women since October 7.

The infrastructure, civilian facilities, health and education systems have completely collapsed.