'Risk of regional conflict, responsibility necessary' - FM

(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 2 - Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Wednesday said a war involving the entire Middle East could still be avoided after Iran launched at least 180 missiles into Israel on Tuesday evening, the latest in a series of escalating attacks between Israel and Tehran and its allies threatening to drive the Middle East closer to a regional conflict.
    Earlier on Tuesday, Israel launched what it described as a limited ground incursion in southern Lebanon.
    "The opening of the Lebanese front and the direct intervention of Iran have inevitably increased the risk of a large-scale regional conflict", Tajani said.
    Addressing the Lower House and Senate foreign affairs and defence committees with Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, Tajani said that, "however, the escalation of the past few hours drives us even more to work for peace and for dialogue.
    "There is still the possibility of avoiding a war that involves the entire Middle East.
    "We call on the responsibility of all regional actors", said Tajani, stressing that the Italian government, also as president of the G7, was working "in every direction towards this objective".
    Tajani spoke about the importance of maintaining dialogue with Iran.
    "We have never hidden our concern for Tehran's regional posture, which has a destabilizing effect in an already very precarious context, as unfortunately shown yesterday by the attack against Israel.
    "However, we believe that it is important, now more than ever, to maintain a channel of dialogue with Iran", Tajani said.
    The foreign minister also said a "call we continue to issue to everyone, including Israel, is to work for a de-escalation and avoid a conflict causing more victims especially among the civilian population.
    In talks with his Israeli counterpart, Israel Katz, Tajani said he "insisted not only on the safeguard of our military, but also on the need to prevent a repeat of what happened in Gaza with the Lebanese population.
    "We must avoid too many innocent victims again", he noted. On Tuesday evening, the Italian government condemned the Iranian attack on Israel expressing "deep concern for ongoing developments" and launching an "appeal for responsibility to all regional actors, asking to avoid further escalations", according to a note issued by Palazzo Chigi after an urgent summit summoned by Premier Giorgia Meloni "in light of the worsening crisis in the Middle East", which was also attended by Italy's ambassador to Israel, Luca Ferrari.
    The note said the cabinet is working "to protect Italian citizens and the military in the UNIFIL contingent".
    The meeting was attended, among others, by Crosetto, Tajani, secret services chiefs, diplomatic advisor Fabrizio Saggio and Cabinet Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano, well-informed sources said. (ANSA).