Iran not looking to expand war in region: FM

Beirut, Feb 11 : Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said that his country did not want to see an expansion of the war in the region, the media reported.

"Iran and Lebanon confirm that the war is not the solution, and we never want to expand the scope of the war," he said on Saturday during a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib in Beirut.

The top Iranian diplomat also called on the US to pressure Israel to stop the attacks on Gaza and the West Bank, Xinhua news agency reported.

Amir-Abdollahian said the US was taking two different approaches: One is to continue supplying Israel with weapons and participate in the Gaza war, and the second is talking about a political solution to be reached soon.

For his part, Bou Habib said Lebanon had never wanted a war but sought stability, calm, and a comprehensive and just peace in the region.

"We stressed the need for the international community to assume its responsibility by stopping Israels war against Lebanon and Gaza," Bou Habib added.

During his meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati earlier on Saturday, Amir-Abdollahian emphasised the necessity to exert more efforts to stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza and reach just solutions for all countries in the region, according to a statement released by Lebanons Council of Ministers.

The Iranian Minister added the US-led attacks in Yemen had worsened the crisis in the region, according to a statement released by Al-Intishar, a local news website.

Amir-Abdollahian also met with Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah to discuss the latest developments on Saturday.

Nasrallah said the resistance groups constituted a vital element in the region, and the victory of the Palestinians and the Islamic resistance is inevitable, according to Al-Intishar.

int/khz