Middle East on Brink of Large-Scale Regional War, Russia Warns
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has issued a stark warning that the Middle East is teetering on the edge of a large-scale regional war, with Russia working tirelessly to prevent such a catastrophic outcome.
Addressing the Russia-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Mr. Lavrov emphasized the gravity of the situation, citing the international community’s failure to halt the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in the loss of numerous civilian lives and a significant deterioration of the military and political landscape across the region.
“The confrontation between Israel and Lebanon has reached a perilous new level, with the Middle East once again poised on the brink of a large-scale regional war,” Foreign Minister Lavrov cautioned. “It is our collective responsibility to prevent such a disaster from unfolding. Russia is actively engaging with all parties to normalize the situation and prevent further escalation.”
The Middle East is grappling with multiple flashpoints, including the Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip and the Houthi armed group’s attacks on ships traversing the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Furthermore, concerns are mounting about the possibility of an all-out war erupting between Israel and the Hezbollah group in Lebanon.
A particularly worrying scenario is the potential for Iran to unleash its missile arsenal against Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
In April, Iran launched a massive direct attack on Israel, involving over 300 drones and missiles, in response to the Israeli raid on the Iranian embassy in Syria, which claimed the lives of 13 people, including 7 officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
