Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to visit Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region from Tuesday to discuss regional developments and efforts to stop Israel's “crimes” in Lebanon and Gaza.
The trip comes as Tehran braces for Israeli retaliation after the barrage of ballistic missiles Iran fired at the country last week. The attack, which involved between 180 and 200 missiles, appeared to have done little damage to Israeli infrastructure. Israel said several airbases were damaged, but military operations were not affected.
“My trip to Saudi Arabia and some countries in the region will begin this afternoon,” Iran's semi-official Isna news agency quoted Mr Araghchi as saying, without identifying the other destinations. “The purpose of this trip is to consult on regional developments and to try to stop the crimes of the Zionist regime in Lebanon and Gaza."
He said "the Islamic Republic of Iran does not seek to increase tension and war, although we are not afraid of war". But earlier on Tuesday he issued a warning over Israeli retaliation, saying “any attack on Iran's infrastructure facilities will be met with a strong response”, state news agency Irna reported.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian this week met Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Doha to discuss regional developments. Saudi Arabia was searching for ways to prevent a major escalation in the Middle East that could spiral out of control, said sources briefed on diplomatic efforts to defuse tension in the region.
Iran has warned that if any of Israel's “supporters” intervened, their assets in the region would be attacked.
-
Smoke rises after Israeli air strikes targeted Palestine Tower in Gaza city on October 7, 2023. EPA -
Palestinians take control of an Israeli Merkava battle tank after crossing the border fence with Israel from Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023. AFP -
This video grab from footage released by the Israeli Hostage and Missing Families Forum campaign group on May 22 shows what the group described as Israeli female soldiers being captured by Palestinian Hamas militants during the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. AFP -
Smoke rises following an Israeli air strike in Gaza city on October 9, 2023. EPA -
A rocket is launched from the coastal Gaza strip towards Israel by militants of the Ezz Al-Din Al Qassam militia, the military wing of Hamas movement, in Gaza city. EPA -
Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, as seen from the city of Ashkelon, Israel, on October 9, 2023. Reuters -
Lightning strikes as smoke billows following an Israeli air strike in Gaza city on October 9, 2023. AFP -
An Israeli artillery unit fires at an area along the border with Gaza, southern Israel, on October 11, 2023. EPA -
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish people carry their belongings before boarding a ship for US nationals and their immediate family members, as they leave Israel headed for Cyprus. Reuters -
Palestinian youths take cover behind a rubbish container as they clash with Israeli forces at the northern entrance of the West Bank city of Ramallah near the Israeli settlement of Beit El on October 20, 2023. AFP -
A man mourns as he attends a funeral of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on October 24, 2023. Reuters -
A man holds a child, survivors of Israeli bombardment, as they are treated at a trauma ward at Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on October 24, 2023. AFP -
People search for survivors and the bodies of victims through the rubble of buildings destroyed during Israeli bombardment in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on October 26, 2023. AFP -
Anti-war protesters raise their 'bloody' hands behind US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on President Biden's $106 billion national security supplemental funding request to support Israel and Ukraine, as well as bolster border security, on Capitol Hill in Washington on October 31, 2023. Reuters -
Palestinians run for cover after a strike near the Al Shifa hospital in Gaza city on November 1, 2023. AFP -
Palestinian children run as they flee from Israeli bombardment in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on November 6, 2023. AFP -
An injured Palestinian woman covered in dust and blood hugs an injured girl child at the hospital following the Israeli bombardment of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on November 15, 2023. AFP -
Hostages released by Hamas Gal, left, and Tal Almog-Goldstein, second left, stand in a bus transporting them to an army base in Ofakim in southern Israel after they were released by the Palestinian militant group from the Gaza Strip on November 26, 2023. AFP -
Palestinian boys stand in their makeshift tent at a camp set up on a schoolyard in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip where most civilians have taken refuge, on December 13, 2023. AFP -
Palestinians fleeing the north through the Salaheddin road in the Zeitoun district on the southern outskirts of Gaza city, walk past Israeli army tanks on November 24, 2023. AFP -
In this picture taken during a media tour organised by the Israeli military on December 15, 2023, soldiers visit a tunnel that Hamas reportedly used to attack Israel through the Erez border crossing on October 7. AFP -
Jewish protesters block the passage of aid trucks being sent to Gaza in Ashdod, Israel on February 1, 2024. Reuters -
A man pulls water containers as he walks past destroyed buildings in Khan Younis on May 5, 2024. AFP -
Relatives of Hanan Yablonka, one of the Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip since the October 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian Hamas militants, mourn during his funeral in Tel Aviv on May 26. AFP -
Humanitarian aid packages land after being dropped from a plane in Al Mawasi district of Khan Younis, on May 30, 2024. Reuters -
Palestinians attend Eid al-Adha prayer in Khan Younis town, southern Gaza strip, on June 16. EPA -
Displaced Palestinians play football in Jabalia on July 23, 2024. AFP -
Palestinians injured in an Israeli strike on a school ride on the back of a cart in Deir Al Balah on July 27, 2024. AFP -
Palestinians gather to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in the northern Gaza Strip, September 11. Reuters -
Palestinians survey the damage at the site of Israeli strikes on a displacement camp in Khan Younis on September 10, 2024. AFP -
A medical staff member carries supplies through a destroyed section of Al Shifa hospital in Gaza city on September 17. AFP -
People walk past makeshift graves in Gaza city on September 17. AFP
Uncertain response
Israel's response to the missile barrage is unpredictable, but observers suggest the possible targets include Iranian oil facilities, which could lead to market disruptions. Tehran and Riyadh warmed ties in a rapprochement brokered by China in March 2023, and despite easing regional tension, their relationship remains cautious.
In September, Mr Araghchi described Saudi Arabia as a country that has a “special place” in its policies with neighbouring countries. The minister met his Saudi counterpart on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last month. Mr Araghchi has since held high-level meetings in Lebanon and Syria.
Irann-backed allies Hamas and Hezbollah have suffered significant losses in Israeli attacks since the war in Gaza broke out a year ago, compounded by the recent escalation in strikes and the ground invasion of Lebanon. Both groups have lost their leaders – Ismail Haniyeh and Hassan Nasrallah, respectivaly – as well as other senior figures.
Hezbollah's daily exchange of cross-border fire with Israel has inched closer to a full-fledged war over the past two weeks, with Israel carrying out a ground invasion in Lebanon, and significantly stepping up air strikes, mostly in southern Lebanon, the group's stronghold, and the eastern Bekaa Valley.
Mr Araghchi also said on Tuesday that Iran has proposed a meeting between the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation to discuss Gaza and Lebanon. “Positive opinions have been announced so far by the member countries and consultations are continuing in this regard,” he added.
