Lavrov: Washington encouraging 'Israel's' ground invasion in Lebanon

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
4 Oct 2024 15:37
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov deduces, through an assessment of the wars across the Middle East and Africa, that for security to be established, it must be equal and indivisible for all countries, or it will not exist at all.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks during a joint press conference following the talks with Senegalese Foreign Minister Yassine Fall in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, August 29, 2024. (AP)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday that the United States has encouraged "Israel" to expand its war zone into Lebanon by failing to condemn Tel Aviv's attempted ground invasion in southern Lebanon.

In a statement, the Russian top diplomat said, "Since Israel launched its ground invasion of Lebanon on the night of October 1, there has not been a single word of condemnation on behalf of the US administration about this act of aggression against a sovereign state," adding that "This way, Washington is actually encouraging its Middle East ally to keep expanding the war zone."

According to Lavrov, who highlighted the "tragic and unacceptable developments" related to the war, which the Russian Federation called a "conflict" between Arabs and the Israeli occupation, particularly in locations such as Lebanon, Yemen, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, Sudan, and other hotspots in Africa, there is a crucial reality to be acknowledged, "Security must either be equal and indivisible for all, or there will be none."

In this context, Lavrov also condemned the Israeli occupation's "routine" practice of assassinations which have been taking place in the Middle East and in Tehran, and also condemned "Israel's" attempted breach of Lebanese sovereignty on the southern Lebanon border as it seeks a ground invasion into Lebanon.

Russia concerned over Israeli signs of possibly striking Iran: Ryabkov

Russia has expressed concern over "Israel's" signals suggesting a potential "retaliatory strike" on Iran, which could involve targeting Iranian nuclear facilities.

In a statement to Sputnik on Thursday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov emphasized that considering such scenarios is unacceptable.

He expressed deep concern, highlighting that any escalation of the current war could lead to severe consequences.

"I also want to say that nuclear facilities as such, in any case, should always be taken out of any conflict," Ryabkov stressed.

He also emphasized the need for the international community, including the IAEA and its leadership, to speak out and condemn the mere consideration of such scenarios.

This comes shortly after Israeli media reported citing Israeli officials that "Israel" might respond to Iran's significant ballistic missile attack on Tuesday by targeting strategic infrastructure, such as gas or oil rigs, or by directly striking Iran's nuclear sites.