Iran vowed on Thursday that Americans would be dragged into fighting in the Middle East if Israel’s war against Hamas escalated into a regional conflict.
Less than three weeks after Hamas terrorists killed, wounded, raped and/or kidnapped thousands of civilians — some of them Americans — in an attack on Israel, tensions in the region are rising.
The United States has sent two carrier strike groups to the area, while American military forces stationed in Syria, Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries are on high alert.
On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian stood in front of the United Nations in New York City and declared that the United States should not expect to walk away from a large regional conflict unscathed, Reuters reported.
Amirabdollahian also accused the U.S. and Israel of “genocide.”
“I say frankly to the American statesmen who are now managing the genocide in Palestine that we do not welcome [an] expansion of the war in the region,” he told the U.N. General Assembly. “But I warn if the genocide in Gaza continues, they will not be spared from this fire.
“It is our home, and West Asia is our region. We do not compromise with any party and any side, and we have no reservations when it comes to our home’s security.
“The genocide in Gaza must stop immediately.”
#BREAKING Iran’s Foreign Minister @Amirabdolahian, in his speech at the UN General Assembly, warned the United States that “you won’t be spared from the fire of the war in region” if the Gaza war does not stop.
“I say it frankly to American statesmen: We don’t welcome the… pic.twitter.com/Q1IsSu4tao— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) October 26, 2023
Amirabdollahian also called for humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip — but he did not say if his country was willing to offer such aid.
Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida called for President Joe Biden to revoke the Iranian foreign minister’s visa.
“He is not welcome in America,” Scott said in a post on X. “The United States cannot tolerate threats to our nation from terror-sponsors.”
.@POTUS: Revoke his visa now. He is not welcome in America.
The United States cannot tolerate threats to our nation from terror-sponsors. https://t.co/2gc4uitMAT
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) October 26, 2023
It is widely believed Iran armed and trained the Hamas terrorists who launched a series of surprise attacks against civilians inside Israel on Oct. 7.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that in September, at least 500 Hamas militants and people affiliated with the terror group received what it called “specialized combat training” in Iran from Iran’s Quds Force.
The Quds Force is one of Iran’s five military branches.
According to the Journal, some of the training included practice with specialized drones and other surveillance equipment.
Drones were used by Hamas on Oct. 7, as were motorcycles and paragliders — which would be difficult to use for training purposes inside of the small Gaza Strip.
In the weeks since the terror attacks, Israel’s military has responded by targeting Hamas inside Gaza, and the Israeli Defense Forces have inflicted heavy casualties.
Israel also has been struck by militants from inside Syria and Lebanon who are suspected to be backed by Iran.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
