Iraqi premier says preventing escalation hinges on halting Israeli aggression against Gaza

GAZA

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani said Sunday that preventing a regional escalation is solely dependent on stopping Israel’s aggression against Gaza and preventing its expansion to Lebanon.

His remarks came during a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss regional and international developments, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's media office, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.

Al-Sudani added that preventing escalation in the region also relies on deterring and curbing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government, stopping Israeli occupation authorities from attacking regional countries, ending repeated breaches of international law and sovereignty and halting attempts to spread conflicts and widen crises.

The call also covered Iraq's role in promoting international peace and stability and preventing current events from escalating further, the statement said.

Blinken conveyed Washington's desire for Iraq to play a role in controlling the situation in the region and preventing escalation from various parties, continuing its efforts to support regional stability and peace.

The call came amid expectations of escalating attacks between Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah group on one side and Israel on the other following the assassination of senior Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr by Tel Aviv last Tuesday and accusations from the Palestinian resistance group Hamas and Iran of Israel assassinating Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital Tehran last Wednesday.

Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas have all vowed to respond to the assassinations of Haniyeh and Shukr, while international efforts for de-escalation continue to prevent the conflict from expanding.

*Writing by Alperen Aktas from Istanbul