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.
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