An expansion of the scope of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza is “inevitable,” Iran’s foreign minister said Thursday night. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the alarming comments during a phone conversation with his Qatari counterpart, according to Iran’s state-run Press TV. “Due to the expansion of the intensity of the war against Gaza’s civilian residents, expansion of the scope of the war has become inevitable,” Amir-Abdollahian was quoted as saying. The U.S. has attempted to stop the conflict from spreading through diplomatic efforts and the deployment of American naval forces to the eastern Mediterranean. Hamas is backed by Iran, but Tehran claims it played no part in the Oct. 7 attacks that led to Israel declaring war. Iran also supports Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based militant group that has been involved in cross-border fighting with Israel since the conflict broke out.
