The Iranian armed forces will not intervene in the situation in the Gaza Strip if Israel starts a ground operation there, unless Israeli forces decide to attack Iran, the Iranian Permanent Mission to the United Nations told Sputnik on Sunday.
"Iran's armed forces will not engage, provided that the Israeli apartheid does not dare to attack Iran, its interests, and nationals. The resistance front can defend itself," the Iranian mission said when asked whether Iran is going to intervene if Israel starts a ground operation in the Gaza Strip.
However, Iran's mission to the United Nations said that if Israel does not immediately stop "the genocide," the situation in the Gaza Strip could get out of control.
"If the Israeli apartheid’s war crimes and genocide are not halted immediately, the situation could spiral out of control and ricochet far-reaching consequences—the responsibility of which lies with the UN, the Security Council and the states steering the Council toward a dead end," the mission said on X.
Also on Sunday, the Iranian media outlets reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian spoke with Ismail Haniyeh, the director of Hamas' political bureau, in Qatar about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and diplomatic efforts to stop hostilities.
Amirabdollahian visited Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria earlier this week as part of official business. The head of Lebanon's Shia Islamist organization Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, and the Iranian minister met on Friday in Beirut.
The foreign minister allegedly explained Iran's position to UN ambassador to the Middle East Tor Wennesland, who then sent the information to Israeli national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, according to the Saturday report.
On October 7, the Palestinian organization Hamas surprised Israel with a massive missile barrage from the Gaza Strip. The following day, Israel proclaimed a state of war and carried out retaliatory operations. Israel imposed a total embargo on the Gaza Strip, which is home to more than 2 million people, on Monday, severing all gasoline, food, and water supplies. As a result of the escalation, Israel and Palestine have each recorded over a thousand fatalities and thousands of injuries.