News - Iranian FM warns French counterpart about risk of Middle East conflict escalation

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, at a meeting with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna, warned that if the situation in the Gaza Strip continues, any options are possible, including a further expansion of military operations, Mehr reports. On Thursday, Amirabdollahian held a personal meeting in Geneva with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna as part of consultations on the situation in Gaza. “We had frank, clear, and important talks with the French Foreign Minister and made it clear that 'you alongside America cannot only talk about the actions of Hamas'. And we said that, in our opinion, Hamas is a Palestinian liberation movement against the occupation. While we have always condemned the killing of women and children everywhere in the world, the silence of America and some Western countries regarding the killing of children and women in Palestine is unbearable,” he said. According to the head of the Iranian Foreign Ministry in Geneva, they had a “frank and important conversation with French Foreign Minister Colonna regarding the developments in Palestine, bilateral and consular issues, and the perspective of relations between Iran and France.” “We warned about the consequences of the continuation of war crimes in Gaza. The immediate cessation of genocide in Gaza, the sending of relief aid, and the exchange of civilian prisoners were also emphasized,” he said. Amirabdollahian also said that the French Foreign Minister agreed that the war should not be expanded. “We warned that if the situation continues, any possibility, including further expansion of the scope of the war, is envisaged,” he said. In turn, the French Foreign Minister told her Iranian counterpart that Tehran has a “heavy responsibility” to prevent the war from spreading throughout the region. France's top diplomat also said “all measures” must be taken to protect civilians during the war and guarantee access for humanitarian aid.