Israel ‘helpless’ on battlefield, attacks Syria, Lebanon to deflect ‘disgraceful’ Gaza defeat: Iran

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says Israel’s recent attacks on Syria and Lebanon are meant to divert the attention of the international community from the regime’s “disgraceful defeat” in the Gaza war.

In a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in New York on Monday, Amir-Abdollahian denounced the illegal Israeli airstrikes, which have increased over the past few months, as a “vicious attempt” by the occupying entity to spread regional insecurity.

The top Iranian diplomat highlighted the resilience of the oppressed people of Gaza for more than 100 days and Israel’s failure to achieve its declared objectives during the genocidal onslaught on the besieged Palestinian territory.

“The Zionist regime’s recent acts of aggression against Syria and Lebanon are an attempt to divert the attention of the international community from the regime’s disgraceful defeat as well as its frustration and helplessness in the battlefield. They are also a vicious attempt to spread instability and insecurity in the region,” he added.

Amir-Abdollahian has travelled to New York to attend a UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting on "the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question”.

Israel waged its brutal war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out a historic operation against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

However, 109 days into the genocidal offensive, Tel Aviv has failed to "destroy Hamas” and find Israeli captives in Gaza despite killing at least 25,295 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 63,000 others.

The regime has also ramped up its airstrikes on Syria and Lebanon in the course of the war.

Referring to Russia’s permanent membership in the UNSC, the Iranian foreign minister urged the country to play a more active role to bring an end to the Gaza war.

He also expressed his satisfaction with the level of Iran-Russia relations, expressing hope that the two countries will sign a long-term cooperation agreement during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s future visit to Tehran.

Lavrov, for his part, voiced his contentment with bilateral relations and stressed the implementation of the deals inked so far.

Palestinians slam US veto of UN resolution for Gaza ceasefire as 'disastrous'

Palestinian officials condemn the US veto of a draft ceasefire resolution at the UN Security Council urging Gaza ceasefire as “disastrous” and “a disgrace.”

He further blasted the US for blocking a UNSC resolution on the Gaza ceasefire and urged Arab countries to unite on the issue of Palestine.

In a social media post on Tuesday, Amir Abdollahian said, “The martyrdom of more than 25,000 Palestinians, the wounding of tens of thousands and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as the expansion of regional instability, are the result of the genocide by the Israeli regime and its supporters.”

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