TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said on Thursday that nobody seeks Iran’s “permission to open a new front” against Israel, saying everything is “dependent” on the Zionist regime’s moves.

Amir Abdollahian made the remarks during a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Baghdad.

“Officials of certain countries in contact with us ask about a possible opening of new (war) fronts in the region. We tell them that our clear-cut response about future possibilities is that everything is dependent on the moves of the Zionist regime in Gaza,” Iran’s foreign minister remarked.

There is a speculation that the powerful Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement, resistance forces in Iraq known as Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), and Ansarallah forces in Yemen may enter the war against Israel if the Tel Aviv continues to massacre the Palestinian people indiscriminately in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has started a relentless bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip and cut off water, food, fuel, electricity to the densely populated enclave that houses 2.3 million population.

“It is clear to everybody that we are facing war crimes of the Zionist regime against the ordinary citizens of Palestine in Gaza,” Amir Abdollahian said in the meeting with the Iraqi prime minister.

On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel in the occupied lands, killing many Israeli settlers and capturing more than 100 prisoners, among them soldiers and military officers.

Some pro-Israel officials and analysts in the West have been seeking to link Iran to the Hamas operation codenamed "Al-Aqsa Storm". Despite such claims the United States have said there is no evidence that Iran was involved in the attack.  Israeli officials have also made no mention of Iran in the attack.   

Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian said, "The actions of resistance groups in the Al-Aqsa Storm Operation were entirely Palestinian and self-motivated, which even Westerners emphasize that Netanyahu's extremist behavior has created these conditions."

Iran's chief diplomat who on Thursday started a tour of Iraq, Syria and Lebanon for consultations on the Gaza situation said,  "In a situation where the Zionist regime has imposed a complete siege on Gaza, cutting off its water, electricity, and fuel supply, and preventing the delivery of food and medicine, the United States and some parties are sending weapons to Israel and allowing this criminal regime to continue its ruthless massacre of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. In such circumstances, anything is possible, and we may witness new events in the region."

He added, "Now the crimes of Israel are continuing and nobody in the region seeks our permission to open new fronts."

Three days after the start of the Israeli-Gaza war, Lader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, "Those who say ‘Palestinians' work is caused by non-Palestinians’ have not known the Palestinian nation, they have underestimated the Palestinian nation. This is their mistake; They make a wrong calculation.”

Amir Abdollahian added in his diplomatic contacts with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell he told them that “what happened was a reaction to Netanyahu's extremist actions.”

In his Thursday talks with the Iraqi prime minister, Amir Abdollahian said "it is absolutely necessary that the crimes of Zionist regime to be stopped in Gaza and the role of Iraq" for ending the Gaza tragedy is "very important".

Iraqi PM: “We cannot just be observer of the condition in Gaza”

For his part, Prime Minister Al-Sudani stated, “The issue of Palestine is related to ideology rather than politics.”

He added every Muslim and free-minded person in the world backs the rights of Palestinians.

The Iraqi prime minister also said, “We are not surprised by the Al-Aqsa Storm Operation because the rights of the Palestinians cannot go unnoticed, and it is wrong to imagine that through normalization with the Zionist regime the rights of the Palestinians will be put into oblivion.”

The top Iraqi official went on to say that Israel has ignored all the resolutions passed by the United Nations to restore the rights of the Palestinians, but they have all been ignored by Tel Aviv.

“Even if we speak from a UN perspective or international perspective dozens of resolutions have been passed at United Nations regarding Palestine against Israel but Israel has not adhered to any of them; Palestinians have been deprived even from their most basic rights since then; it is natural that Palestinians take action to reclaim their rights by launching an intifada.”

Al-Sudani also briefed the Iranian foreign minister of the diplomatic steps taken by Iraq in line with supporting the Gaza people.

Al-Sudani emphasized that "the Iraqi people are supporters of Palestine.”

The prime minister also said his country backs an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Gaza at the level of foreign ministers or heads of state or government, noting, “Surely, we cannot just be observer of the (tragic) situation in Gaza.”

He also said the position of the senior religious scholars in Iraq about Palestine is clear and they back the rights of the Palestinian people.

Iran FM says crimes against Gazans to receive response from axis of resistance 

Upon his arrival in Beirut on Thursday night, Iran’s foreign minister also said the continuation of crimes against Gazans will receive a response from “the rest of the axis of resistance” and Israel will be responsible for the consequences.

“Some Western officials have questioned if there is an intention to open a new front against the Zionist entity. Of course, in light of the continuation of these circumstances that are war crimes,” he added, according to Al Jazeera.

Speaking through a translator, the Iranian minister said the displacement of Palestinians and cutting water and electricity to the Gaza Strip are considered war crimes.

Hamas accuses Israel of carrying out ‘genocide’ in Gaza

Hamas has also accused Israel of carrying out genocide in Gaza, saying that Western countries offering military aid to Israel are participating in the killing of Palestinians instead of seeking a resolution to the conflict and occupation.

“There is no safe area for the people in Gaza to seek refuge or shelter,” senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad said in a video statement, speaking in English.

“Every area and every building is under possible attack. Everyone is targeted and vulnerable to Israel’s killing, including women, children, the elderly and even disabled people.”

Hamad also decried the “illegal and unethical” siege by Israel on Gaza that is preventing fuel and humanitarian supplies from entering the territory.

“The Israeli leaders are giving clear instructions to their army to carry out a genocide [against] more than two million citizens in the Gaza Strip. We are facing unprecedented crimes in modern history,” he said.

WHO says Gaza hospitals ‘at breaking point’

The UN health organization in Gaza have only “a few hours of electricity each day as they are forced to ration depleting fuel reserves” and rely on generators to sustain the most critical functions, Al Jazeera reported.

“Even these functions will have to cease in a few days when fuel stocks are due to run out,” WHO said in a statement. “The impact would be devastating for the most vulnerable patients, including the injured who need lifesaving surgery, patients in intensive care units, and newborns depending on care in incubators.”

The organisation has documented 34 attacks on healthcare facilities in Gaza since the bombardment began, resulting in the death of 11 healthcare workers and injuring 16 others. It said there had been damage to 19 health facilities and 20 ambulances.