Israeli occupation Economy Minister Nir Barkat indicated on Wednesday that Iran has become a "legitimate target" for "Israel's" missile strikes for supporting armed movements opposing the Israeli occupation entity.

"Iran is a legitimate target for Israel ... The head of the snake is Tehran. My recommendation is to adopt the strategy that [US] President [John F.] Kennedy used in the Cuban missile crisis. What he basically said then was a missile from Cuba will be answered with a missile to Moscow ... And we should very very clearly make sure the Iranians understand that they will not get away with using proxies against Israel," Barkat said in an interview with The Telegraph.

The Israeli minister claimed that "Israel" could afford to keep fighting and open up a new front with Lebanon despite military spending of over $250 million a day.

But Israeli media reported on Tuesday that the occupation entity suffered a rise in food prices this year due to increased shipping costs, attributed to the growing Yemeni operations, concerns over maritime routes in the Red Sea, and Hezbollah's operations on the northern occupied Palestinian border.

However, the media suggested that these prices would soar even higher in the case that a war with Hezbollah would start, the outlet said.

A couple of days ago, the Israeli KAN channel unequivocally confirmed that thousands of businesses in the northern settlements of the occupation entity have closed since October 7, 2023. This alarming development unfolds against the tense backdrop of the ongoing confrontation and escalation between Hezbollah and the Israeli occupation forces.

The Israeli occupation Minister of Immigration and Absorption, Ofir Sofer, openly admitted that he believes "it was a mistake to escalate tensions on the northern front in the early stages of the war," emphasizing that "Israel" must pursue a political solution.

Hezbollah has launched operations in support of Gaza since October 8, which saw hundreds of strikes against Israeli military bases and sites. This has prompted almost a quarter-million Israelis to evacuate northern settlements, which primarily serve as the entity's main poultry and agricultural production regions.

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Despite tens of thousands Palestinians killed in Israeli bombardments, Barkat considered that the war in Gaza had not been fought "aggressively enough".

He added that Palestinian workers from the occupied West Bank would never be allowed to work in occupied Palestinian territories in 1948 again and would be replaced by over 250,000 workers from abroad.

Scope of war is now wider; thus risk of expanded war is up: Iran's FM

Earlier, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian viewed that the likelihood of triggering a broader regional war in the Middle East has increased now that the scope of war has become wider.

In an exclusive interview with Martha Raddatz, ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent, on Tuesday, Iran's top diplomat said, "The scope of the war has become wider. This means that the danger of having a wider war in the region has gone up."

Amir-Abdollahian attributed the escalating tensions to the United States and "Israel".

"If the U.S. today stops its backing -- logistical and weapons, political and media support -- of the genocidal war launched by Israel, then I can assure you that [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu will not survive for 10 minutes," he affirmed. "So the key to solving the problem is in Washington before it is in Tel Aviv."

The Iranian minister further stated that Hamas is viewed as a Palestinian liberation group standing in the face of an occupation.

When questioned about Iran's alleged support for Yemen's Ansar Allah, Amir-Abdollahian rejected the accusations and accused the US military of falsifying information. This refers to the reports presented by the Pentagon, which claimed to expose Iran's arms trafficking network supporting Ansar Allah.

"Mostly, this is a TV show," he confirmed.