On January 17, both Iran and Egypt issued warnings about the risk of conflict spreading across the Middle East.
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| Smoke rises after an Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip on January 16. The Israel-Hamas conflict is threatening to spread across the Middle East. (Source: AFP) |
Reuters quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian speaking at the annual conference of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, stating that ending the conflict in the Gaza Strip "will help end military actions and crises in the region."
Warning that the conflict could escalate tensions across the Middle East, the Iranian diplomat stressed: "The security of the Red Sea is closely linked to developments in the Gaza Strip, and everyone will suffer if Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip do not stop... All fronts of resistance will remain."
Iran supports Hamas in its conflict with Israel, which has devastated the Gaza Strip with air and ground attacks.
Meanwhile, the Houthi forces in Yemen, believed to be backed by Iran, have carried out numerous attacks on ships in the Red Sea in a show of solidarity with Palestinians against Israel.
The administration of US President Joe Biden has officially put the Houthis back on the terrorist list, and launched a series of attacks on the movement's targets in Yemen. The Houthis have vowed to respond.
Similar to Iran, at a meeting with Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis who was visiting Cairo on January 17, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi warned about the risk of military escalation in the Middle East region.
Highlighting the urgent need to alleviate the current critical situation through an immediate and urgent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the leader also urged increased humanitarian aid deliveries to mitigate the impact of the current catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
Mr. El-Sisi affirmed that Egypt will continue to support the people in the Gaza Strip, provide them with humanitarian aid and make efforts to ease the situation.
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