TEHRAN, Jan 7 (NNN-IRNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said yesterday that, the security of Gaza and the West Bank, is interconnected with that of the region, and “war is not the solution.”
He made the remarks in a phone call with his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna, according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
During the talk, Amir-Abdollahian said, the only way to prevent the expansion of the Israel-Hamas conflict and ensure lasting peace in the region is to pay “responsible” attention to “the roots of the challenges” and be determined to resolve them.
Blaming the regional instability on Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories under the U.S. appeasement, Amir-Abdollahian said, it was impossible to turn a blind eye to these root reasons, while at the same time voicing concern about security in the region.
Colonna, for her part, expressed concern over the escalation of tensions in the region, calling on Iran to help prevent the widening of the conflicts’ scopes.
She also condemned Wednesday’s deadly “terrorist” attack in the south-eastern Iranian city of Kerman, that killed 92 people and wounded more than 280 others.
The two sides also agreed on the importance of continuing their diplomatic consultations and contacts, highlighting the necessity to remove obstacles to the expansion of bilateral relations, in an atmosphere based on mutual respect.
Israel has been fighting with Hamas in the Gaza Strip since Oct 7, 2023, after the Palestinian faction launched a surprise attack on southern Israel.
The Israeli army has, so far, killed 22,722 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in its military operations in the enclave, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said, yesterday.– NNN-IRNA
