MIDDLE EAST
33 MINUTES AGO
Iran-Israel live updates: Iran tells US it does not seek tensions expansion
EU’s Foreign Policy Chief Joseph Borrell joins calls for de-escalation, saying tensions between Iran and Israel should not lead the world to forget the humanitarian crisis in besieged Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
According to Amirabdollahian, Iran communicated with Washington “before and after” launching its attack on Israel. / Photo: AFP
AFP
According to Amirabdollahian, Iran communicated with Washington “before and after” launching its attack on Israel. / Photo: AFP
Thursday, April 18, 2024
0845 GMT — Iran’s top diplomat said his country has told the United States that it is not seeking escalation after an unprecedented attack on Israel.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, who is in New York to attend a UN Security Council meeting, said his country has “tried to tell the United States clearly” that Iran is “not looking for the expansion of tension in the region,” he said in a video posted by his ministry.
Iran informed the United States that the country’s decision to “respond to the (Israel) regime is final,” and the matter concluded, he said.
“Before the operation, we clearly told the American side that we will not target American bases and interests in the region,” Amirabdollahian said.
More updates 👇
0515 GMT — Israel reserves ‘right to protect itself’ after Iran attack: Netanyahu
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country reserved the right to protect itself after Iran’s unprecedented attack, and that it alone would decide how to do so.
Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel over the weekend in an attack that caused little damage after most of the projectiles were intercepted.
The Israeli military has vowed to respond, prompting a diplomatic flurry aimed at calming the Middle East.
Israel’s allies in Washington and Brussels have pledged to ramp up sanctions against Iran, while British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock became the first Western envoys to visit Israel since the attack.
Netanyahu told the visiting ministers that Israel “will reserve the right to protect itself,” his office said.
0417 GMT — Congress moving swiftly on bipartisan action to punish Iran after revenge attack on Israel
Iran’s attack against Israel has spurred a flurry of bipartisan legislative action in Congress, uniting lawmakers against the country even as the risk of a larger regional war looms.
Several measures introduced and passed in the House and Senate seek to both publicly condemn Tehran and punish Iran financially. Lawmakers have denounced Iran’s actions, which came in response to a suspected Israeli strike weeks earlier on an Iranian consular building in Syria that killed two Iranian generals.
“The world is on fire, and history will judge us for our action,” said Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, during a news conference Tuesday.
2225 GMT — Israeli attack could spark regional war — Jordan
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi has said an Israeli retaliation against Iranian strikes could bring a real risk of dragging the whole region into a devastating war.
In an interview released by state media, Safadi said his country was lobbying major powers against an escalation that would have far-reaching consequences for regional stability and security.
“The risks are enormous. That could drag the whole region into war, which would be devastating to us in the region and we’ll have very, very serious implications for the rest of the world including the US,” Safadi said.
“The situation is too dangerous. The chances of regional explosion are real, and that has got to stop. We’ve got to make sure there’s no further escalation,” he added.
2103 GMT — Israel, Iran escalation should not lead world to forget humanitarian crisis in Gaza, West Bank: EU officials
The escalation between Iran and Israel should not lead the world to forget the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank, two top EU officials have said.
“It is essential to avoid any further escalation in the Middle East, in particular following the attacks from Iran targeting Israel. At this crucial time, we yet again call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2728, demanding an urgent and unfettered expansion of the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza to prevent further escalation of this humanitarian crisis and the catastrophic, predictable and avoidable outcome for its population,” according to a statement by EU’s foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell and the bloc’s commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic.
For our live updates from Tuesday, April 17, click here.
SOURCE: TRTWORLD AND AGENCIES
