Iran's Foreign Minister warns of conflict spreading if Gaza siege continues


Jamie Prentis
  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza

Iran’s Foreign Minister has warned that the war in Gaza could spread across the region if Israel does not stop its brutal assault on the Palestinian enclave.

Speaking during a meeting with Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Beirut, Hossein Amirabdollahian also said that the goal of his visit was “maintaining calm” in Lebanon.

Lebanese armed group and political party Hezbollah, Iran’s main ally in Lebanon, has engaged in several low-level but violent exchanges with Israel this week, and there are fears of a second front opening as a result.

Mr Amirabdollahian warned of conflict spreading if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "does not stop his destructive war against” Gaza.

Separately, he said that "if the Americans want to prevent the war in the region from developing, they must control Israel".

During his meeting with Mr Mikati, he said that the initial deadly assault by Palestinian group Hamas on Israel last Saturday "was a response to Netanyahu's policy and Israel's crimes".

Mr Amirabdollahian also met Hezbollah's secretary general Hassan Nasrallah, although little was publicly revealed of that meeting.

They discussed "potential outcomes" and the "positions that must be taken" in light of the latest developments, according to a Hezbollah statement.

He also held a meeting with his counterpart Abdalla Bou Habib, where the Lebanese minister accused Israel of committing "war crimes" against the people of Gaza.

Mr Amirabdollahian repeated his warning, saying, "if the systemic war crimes of the Zionist regime do not stop immediately, any possibility is conceivable".

Mr Bou Habib said Lebanon "has never wanted or sought war and we warn that continued escalation will ignite the region and threaten security and peace in it".

"We are in solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and call for the end of the siege and the delivery of aid to Gaza," he said.

Mr Amirabdollahian is on a regional tour, having visited Baghdad on Thursday, and is scheduled to visit Damascus.

Iran has various proxies in the region, its most powerful being Hezbollah, but it has denied involvement in the assault by Hamas on Israel last weekend.

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The flights

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Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

Quick pearls of wisdom

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Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

UAE rugby season

FIXTURES

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Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Knights Eagles

Dubai Tigers v Bahrain

Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins

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LAST SEASON

West Asia Premiership

Winners – Bahrain

Runners-up – Dubai Exiles

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Winners – Abu Dhabi Harlequins

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Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

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The specs

Common to all models unless otherwise stated

Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi

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Power: 276hp

Torque: 392Nm

Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD

Price: TBC

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Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners

Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta​​​​​​​
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)

Afghanistan Premier League - at a glance

Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Fixtures:

Tue, Oct 16, 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Kabul Zwanan; Wed, Oct 17, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Nangarhar Leopards; 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Paktia Panthers; Thu, Oct 18, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Kandahar Knights; 8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers; Fri, Oct 19, 8pm: First semi-final; Sat, Oct 20, 8pm: Second semi-final; Sun, Oct 21, 8pm: final

Table:

1. Balkh Legends 6 5 1 10

2. Paktia Panthers 6 4 2 8

3. Kabul Zwanan 6 3 3 6

4. Nagarhar Leopards 7 2 5 4

5. Kandahar Knights 5 1 4 2

Updated: October 13, 2023, 11:53 AM`