TEHRAN – A senior Iranian diplomat in the UK has warned about the expansion of the Gaza war if Israel further increases attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip.

Iran’s most senior diplomat in the UK said if this happens it was possible that UK interests would be affected, according to the Guardian. 

Mehdi Hosseini Matin insisted Iran had no control over the “resistance forces” in the region, who he said would make their own decisions independently of Tehran.

Speaking at a press briefing at the Iranian embassy in London, Hosseini Matin said, “The situation in the Middle East is very dangerous and very volatile. Every movement by the Israeli regime including an attack against the people of Gaza definitely escalates the situation and will be expanded to other areas. No one can predict what will happen exactly.”

The diplomat pointed out that Iran had been working hard to build a ceasefire and an alliance for an international humanitarian corridor, saying the present crisis “represents a new chapter for Islamic countries as Palestine is becoming one of the most important issues for the identity of the Islamic world.”

Hosseini Matin highlighted the root cause of the present crisis, noting that Israeli atrocities are to blame. “All of the things that have been done by Hamas and Islamic groups are just self-defense. The terror, the atrocities, the occupation and apartheid are linked with the Israelis,” he said. 

He added that his reading of remarks by Joe Biden led him to think the U.S. and the UK had been counseling Israel in private in recent days not to mount a ground assault on Gaza.

The Iranian diplomat stated that Tehran does not rely on allied groups such as Hezbollah to take action and that it takes action in the open. “No one can [tell] the Islamic resistance groups in the Middle East what to do and not to do.”

He said his first priority was to put a ceasefire in place and start talks. “Our position is to prevent escalation but we are not in a position to control any groups inside the Middle East – Islamic groups or any national groups.”

He said Iran had no role in the firing of missiles from Yemen into the Red Sea, or in the original Hamas attack on Israel.

Matin said it was necessary for Islamic countries to impose sanctions against Israel because of its actions in Gaza.

The press briefing was part of a broader diplomatic campaign by Iranian diplomats globally to set the record straight about Iran’s position on the situation in Palestine. 

Global action needed
Iranian Ambassador to Korea Saeed Koozechi strongly urged the international community to step up efforts to prevent an envisaged ground operation by Israel in the Gaza Strip.

Koozechi emphasized that Iran's commitment to safeguarding civilians is an essential part of resolving any conflict.

He made the remarks in an interview with The Korea Times. 

“Up to this point in the conflict, during the attacks of the Zionist regime against Gaza, there have been more than 3,500 Palestinian casualties, with one-third of them being women and children,” Koozechi said.

“The raid on the oldest Christian hospital in Gaza, with more than 500 casualties, including women and children has been a shock to public opinion around the world.”

The ambassador also called on Korea to utilize its diplomatic ties with the United States to help reduce tensions in the region.

“Korea should leverage its alliances and make concerted efforts to persuade the United States to take action in order to halt Israel's attacks and prevent the suffering of innocent civilians,” he said.

“If the Korean government continues to prioritize the well-being of civilians, it can exert significant influence in providing assistance and support to those affected in the Gaza Strip.”

Koozechi stressed the importance of a potential prisoner exchange between the Palestinian Hamas group and Israel, highlighting the urgent requirement for international intervention to facilitate peace negotiations.

The ambassador said Hamas is the legitimate government in Gaza through legislative elections and is engaged in what it considers to be a resistance movement to protect its territory.

“More than 3o years have passed since the Oslo Accords. The late Yaser Arafat was deceived by the U.S. and Israel and signed this agreement hoping to form an independent Palestinian state,” he added. “Now, all Palestinians and Palestinian authorities admit that this agreement contained no achievement for Palestinians and they believe that struggle is the only way to free the Palestine Land.”

He pointed out that some Palestinians have become disillusioned with the prospect of achieving Palestinian liberation through peaceful means, leading them to declare war in pursuit of their rights.

The ambassador described the Gaza Strip as "the world's largest open-air prison surrounded by Israel from every side.”

He rejected claims that Iran supplied arms to Hamas, stating that the weapons used are “typically simple and produced locally.”