Scope of war is now wider; thus risk of expanded war is up: Iran's FM
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Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warns that the likelihood of triggering a full-blown regional war in the Middle East has increased.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is seen before a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo on Monday, August 7, 2023. (AP)
The likelihood of triggering a broader regional war in the Middle East has increased now that the scope of war has become wider, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said.
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."
Elsewhere in his remarks, he 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."
Amir-Abdollahian further stated that Hamas is viewed as a Palestinian liberation group standing in the face of an occupation.
When questioned about Iran's support for Yemen's Ansar Allah by Raddatz, 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.
Regarding the assassination of the former commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps' al-Quds Force, martyr General Qassem Soleimani, Amir-Abdollahian said: "That was a big, big mistake made by Trump. That is not something that we will be able to forget."
Adding to this, Amir-Abdollahian mentioned that Tehran still desires to witness the accountability of "all individuals involved" in the attack, ensuring that they will be brought to justice.
On January 3, 2020, the US carried out a drone strike authorized by former US President Donald Trump targeting a car carrying the commander of al-Quds Force of the IRGC, General Qassem Soleimani, and his Iraqi trenchmate and the second-in-command of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
Governmental conduct over personalities
During the interview, Amir-Abdollahian contended that regardless of whether Trump secured another term in the Oval Office or not, it would ultimately exert minimal influence on the relationship between the US and Iran.
"Individuals are not important, what matters is the behavior of the government that takes the office," he said.
The Middle East is presently grappling with escalated tensions, exacerbated by the ongoing Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The repercussions of the Israeli aggression extend beyond the immediate theater of Gaza, impacting the broader region.
On this note, Amir-Abdollahian said, "Nobody is going to benefit from any war. We believe that the solution is never war."
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