A member of Basij paramilitary forces attends a rally in support of Palestinians, in Tehran, Iran, October 13, 2023. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS.
UNITED NATIONS — Iran warned on Saturday that if Israel’s “war crimes and genocide” are not halted immediately, “the situation could spiral out of control & ricochet far-reaching consequences,” Tehran’s mission to the United Nations in New York posted on X (formerly Twitter).
“If the Israeli apartheid’s war crimes & genocide are not halted immediately, the situation could spiral out of control & ricochet far-reaching consequences – the responsibility of which lies with the UN, the Security Council & the states steering the Council toward a dead end,” the post reads.
Also on Saturday, United States President Joe Biden spoke with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urged the leaders to allow humanitarian aid to Gaza.
READ: Biden urges Israel, Palestine leaders to allow humanitarian aid to Gaza
While Biden has spoken to Netanyahu multiple times since the Hamas attack, the weekend call was his first to Abbas, who runs the Palestinian Authority which controls the West Bank.
A looming Israeli ground assault was seen to worsen the plight of civilians in Gaza who are without power, fresh water, or access to aid.
READ: Hamas: Iran, Hezbollah not involved in Israel incursion, but will help if needed