Kanaani: All possibilities 'open' if Israeli aggression continues

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
16 Oct 2023 14:25

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani says the world is turning a blind eye to Gaza but reaffirmed that Iran remains steadfast in its quest to stand by the Palestinian people and Resistance if the aggression continues.

Palestinians carry a person wounded in Israeli airstrikes in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Palestine, Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. (AP)

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani confirmed today, Monday, that Iran is making persistent diplomatic efforts to end the Israeli occupation’s aggression against the Gaza Strip and its crimes against the Palestinians, and also to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip.

In a press statement, Kanaani stated that “Iran is serious in its efforts,” pointing out that “a meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation is scheduled to be held next Wednesday in Jeddah.”

The spokesperson explained that this comes while "the world is blind and does not see the siege on Gaza, the daily bombing, and the killing of children," noting that "Zionist enemy's crimes have been repeated for 70 years, and the Palestinians are resisting these crimes."

Kanaani stressed that "the responsibility of the countries supporting Israel is no less than the responsibility of the Zionist entity towards the crimes committed against the Palestinians."

In response to a question by Al Mayadeen’s correspondent, the Iranian official stated that “all possibilities are open if the Zionist aggression against Gaza continues.”

If Israeli atrocities continue, scope of crisis likely to expand: Iran

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian asked his Chinese counterpart in a phone call on Sunday that China should use its capacities and potential to stop the attacks of the Israeli occupation against Gaza citizens.

According to a readout of the phone call, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian pointed to the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza and described it as an urgent issue that the International community needs to be urgently addressed.

"The situation in the region is very sensitive and now the urgent priority is to stop the attacks and crimes of the Zionist regime against the women, children, and civilians of Gaza," the Iranian Minister said.

About his recent regional tour and holding meetings with high-ranking officials, as well as the leaders of some Resistance groups in the region, he said, "The situation is very dangerous and worrisome and there is a possibility that the situation will go out of control at any moment."

"If the crimes of the Zionists do not stop and the current criminal attacks against the citizens of Gaza do not end, no one can guarantee that the scope of the crisis will not expand," Amir-Abdollahian further warned.

The Iranian Foreign Minister called on China to use its efforts to stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza, recalling the United Nations Security Council's responsibility for international peace and security.

For his part, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the international community should take action to counter the actions of any side that harms civilians.

"The root cause... of the Palestine-Israel situation is that the Palestinian people's right to statehood has been set aside for a long time," Wang said, according to an official Chinese readout.

Moreover, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry's readout, the Chinese diplomat said, "The international community must oppose the attack on civilians, and the UN Security Council must assume this responsibility and fulfill its inherent role."

He considered collective punishment against the people of Gaza unacceptable and emphasized the necessity of creating a humanitarian aid corridor.

Israeli occupation forces launched an aggression on the Gaza Strip following a Resistance operation last Saturday by the Palestinian Resistance in occupied Palestine.