Iran on Sunday warned the U.S. to keep its military forces out of Israel.
The comments came in a post on the social platform X long associated with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who helped reached Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
Araghchi referred to the possibility that the U.S. might send one of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems to Israel. Any move of one of the systems, known by the acronym THAAD, to Israel would involve the deployment of soldiers to operate the complex system.
Israel has been escalating its campaign against Hezbollah with waves of heavy airstrikes across Lebanon and a ground invasion at the border after a year of exchanges of fire. Israel is now at war with Hamas in Gaza and Hamas’ ally Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed over 42,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, who do not say how many were fighters but say women and children make up more than half of the fatalities. The war has destroyed large areas of Gaza and displaced about 90% of its population of 2.3 million people, often multiple times.
It’s been a year since Hamas-led militants blew holes in Israel’s security fence and stormed into army bases and farming communities, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250. They are still holding about 100 captives inside Gaza, a third of whom are believed to be dead.
Here’s the latest:
Iran’s foreign minister warns the US against sending any forces to operate in Israel
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s foreign minister indirectly threatened U.S. forces potentially operating in Israel in an online post Sunday.
The comments came in a post on the social platform X long associated with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who helped reached Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
In the message, Araghchi referred to the United States potentially sending one of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems to Israel. Any move of one of the systems, known by the acronym THAAD, to Israel would involve the deployment of soldiers to operate the complex system.
“The US has been delivering record amount of arms to Israel,” the X message read. “It is now also putting lives of its troops at risk by deploying them to operate US missile systems in Israel.”
It added: “While we have made tremendous efforts in recent days to contain an all-out war in our region, I say it clearly that we have no red lines in defending our people and interests.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment over the remarks, which were carried by Iranian state media.
Israel is widely believed to be planning to attack Iran over its missile barrage on Israel earlier this month, its second direct attack on Israel during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war that’s widened to Lebanon and involved other Iranian-backed militant groups in the region.
The THAAD is a defensive system that shoots down incoming ballistic missiles, like those fired by Iran in its last attack.
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Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell contributed.
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VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis reiterated his call on Sunday for an “immediate ceasefire” and asked for the U.N. peacekeepers in the region to be “respected.”
“I continue to follow with concern what is happening in the Middle East,” the pontiff said during his Angelus prayer from the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square.
“Let’s pursue the paths of diplomacy and dialogue to achieve peace,” he added, stressing he feels close to all the peoples involved: Palestine, Israel, Lebanon. He prayed for all the victims, the displaced, the hostages, saying he hoped they would be released “immediately.”
The pope wished “that this great and unnecessary suffering generated by hatred and revenge will soon come to an end.”
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