Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Wednesday that the region is on the brink of a “full-scale catastrophe”, and warned that Tehran would not remain indifferent in case of war in Lebanon.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Araqchi said Israel had crossed "all red lines" and that the UN Security Council must intervene to restore peace and stability.
Israel's leaders must understand their crimes won't go unpunished, he stated, while stressing that Iran supports Hezbollah in its "just cause" to defend Lebanon against what he described as Israeli "atrocities" and "occupation".
Iran is a major sponsor of the Hezbollah terrorist organization and in the past has vowed to always support the group.
Earlier this week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused Israel of attempting to provoke a full-scale regional war by dragging Iran into the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
“We do not wish to be the cause of instability in the Middle East as its consequences would be irreversible,” Pezeshkian stated in a press briefing upon his arrival in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
He emphasized that Iran seeks peace, not war, adding, "It is Israel that seeks to create this all-out conflict."
Pezeshkian, touted as a reformist, defeated his hardline rival, former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, in a runoff election.
While improving Iran's relationships with the West is one of his stated goals, that does not include Israel. On the day of the first round of the elections, responding to a question from a journalist about how Iran would manage international relations if he were president, Pezeshkian replied, “God willing, we will try to have friendly relations with all countries except Israel.”
In late July, Pezeshkian warned that any possible Israeli attack on Lebanon “could backfire and have severe consequences for the Zionists themselves”.