Iran demands Israel stop war crimes in Gaza before it is too late

By Ahmet Dursun

Iran's Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian warned Israel to stop its "war crimes" in Gaza on Saturday and emphasized the readiness of the "resistance front," including Hezbollah, to open a new front against Israel.

The remarks were delivered at a news conference at the Iranian Embassy in Beirut after a two-day regional tour that included Iraq, Lebanon and Syria, according to Iran's state television.

Abdollahian said the top priority is halting Israel's war crimes and warned that the next hour may be too late for action.

He said he held discussions with leaders of the Resistance Front, such as Hassan Nasrallah from Hezbollah, and high-ranking officials from Palestinian groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Responding to the crimes of the Zionist regime would have "regrettable" consequences and reshape the map of the occupied Palestinian territories, he said.

Abdollahian stressed that decisions on actions like opening new fronts or implementing a cease-fire would be made by resistance forces and emphasized that if Israel continues its war crimes, resistance forces are ready to act.

-West bears responsibility for Israel's war crimes

Abdollahian said the war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza should be closely monitored by the UN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

He said he told UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of that responsibility during their meeting.

The Iranian minister pointed out Western support for Israel and stressed that no "rational" person can tolerate or endorse the killing of women and children in Gaza, holding the West responsible for Israel's war crimes.

-Saudi Arabia-Israel normalization process

When asked about the effect of the situation in Gaza on the normalization process between Saudi Arabia and Israel, Abdullahian said the process has now been completely "thrown off the table."