If Iran or its allies were to open a "new front" against Israel, it could significantly escalate the conflict   

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian speaks during a press conference following a meeting with his Omani counterpart, in Muscat on June 21, 2023. 

  October 13, 2023: Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, has warned that a "new front" could be opened against Israel in the ongoing conflict with Hamas, depending on Israel's actions in Gaza.

In a statement after arriving in Beirut on Thursday, Amirabdollahian said that the continuation of crimes against Palestinians will receive a response from "the rest of the axis", which refers to an alliance among Iran, Palestinian militant groups, Syria, the Lebanese group Hezbollah and other factions.

Speaking through a translator, Amirabdollahian criticised the displacement of Palestinians and the cutting of water and electricity to the Gaza Strip, deeming them as war crimes. He warned, "The continuation of war crimes against Palestine and Gaza will receive a response from the rest of the axis, and naturally, the Zionist entity and its supporters will be responsible for the consequences of that."

He did not specify what form this response might take, but it raised the possibility of Iran or its allies intervening militarily in the conflict.

Amirabdollahian's warning comes as the conflict between Israel and Hamas enters its second week, with no end in sight. The fighting has killed at least 1,200 Israelis, foreigners and dual citizens, and 1,417 Palestinians.

Amirabdollahian's warning suggests that Iran is prepared to escalate the conflict if Israel does not stop its offensive in Gaza. The minister said, "Our clear answer regarding future possibilities is that everything depends on the actions of the Zionist regime in Gaza. Even now, Israel's crimes continue, and no one in the region asks us for permission to open new fronts."

In Beirut, the Iranian foreign minister he was welcomed by Hezbollah and Hamas, along with other pro-Iran groups. He is scheduled to meet Lebanese officials before heading to Damascus. He warned that Iran's regional allies, known as the "axis of resistance," could respond if Israel's offensive in Gaza escalates.

The recent conflict between Hamas and Israel has led to casualties on both sides. At least 1,200 Israelis, foreigners, and dual citizens were killed by Hamas militants, while in Gaza, health officials reported 1,417 Palestinians killed by Israel's retaliatory barrages against the coastal enclave.

The West has remained cautious regarding Iran's involvement in the conflict. US President Joe Biden issued a warning to Iran, saying, "I have made it clear to the Iranians: Be careful."

The United States has expressed concerns that a second front may open on Israel's northern border with Lebanon if Hezbollah, another heavily armed group supported by Iran, intervenes.

Iran has also reached out to other Islamic and Arab countries, calling for cooperation to halt the crimes committed by the Zionist regime against the Palestinian nation.