Iran considers Israel's possible ground offensive in the Gaza Strip a "red line" that will result in opening new fronts against Tel Aviv, Ebrahim Azizi, the deputy chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, told Sputnik on Monday.
"The Palestinian resistance front has virtually no borders […]. Israel must realize that the invasion of Gaza is a red line, that Palestine is waiting for Israel to make this big mistake. If the Israeli regime takes such a step and does not stop missile attacks on the Gaza Strip, it will have to wait for the emergence of new military fronts against it, and not just one, like now,” Azizi said.
He added that if an invasion of the Gaza Strip occurs, as a result of opening new fronts, Israel would not be capable of withstanding the resistance. Azizi believes that this could result in the defeat of Israel, and could also lead to the downfall of Israeli power and statehood.
The potential moves by Iran in the event of an Israeli ground operation in the Gaza Strip are a major point of interest for authorities, experts, and media worldwide.
Earlier, the White House has not negated the probability that Iran may become involved in the Palestine-Israel conflict at some point. According to US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, during informal talks, the US warned Iran against the escalation of the conflict.
On Sunday, the Iranian mission to the UN refuted the country's possible interference in the conflict in the event of Israel's ground operation. However, it posted on its social media that if Israel continues to conduct "crimes and genocide" in Gaza, the situation could "spiral out of control."
Earlier, during a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned that if the Palestinians' position continues to deteriorate, the conflict has the potential to escalate, and its scope may expand.
On the morning of October 7, the Palestinian organization Hamas caught Israel off guard with an unprecedented rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. Additionally, the group's fighters penetrated the border areas in southern Israel.
In response, Israel declared a state of war and conducted retaliatory operations. On October 9, Israel announced a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, which is home to over 2 million people, severing all fuel, food, and water supplies. As a result of the escalation, Israel and Palestine have each recorded over a thousand fatalities and thousands of injuries.