2024.1.13.

The situation in the Middle East is becoming worse in the new year.

Israel, which had mounted a series of bombardments on a refugee camp in the northern part of the Gaza Strip at the outset of the year, committed an act of terrorism by assassinating a high-ranking official of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) of Palestine in Lebanon on the evening of January 2. It openly called for expanding its military operations to other fronts in 2024.

The prime minister of Lebanon termed the attack perpetrated in its territory another crime of Israel aimed at plunging Lebanon into a new phase of confrontation.

Hezbollah, an organization of the Lebanese patriotic forces, declared that it would attack Israel "without hesitation" if Israel launches a war against Lebanon, and fired more than 60 rockets at the northern part of Israel on the early morning of January 6.

Hezbollah noted in a statement that the rocket attack was only an "initial response", expressing its will not to stop the military counteraction.

Amid the continued vicious cycle of terrorism and retaliation in the Middle East, two explosions claimed many casualties in Iran on January 3.

Iranians were greatly angered by the bombing attacks that took place near the venue for mourning the late top commander of Iran murdered by the U.S. four years ago.

Iran vowed to resolutely punish any forces or regions involved in the terrorist blasts, saying that enemies can see Iran’s power and the whole world knows its strength and capabilities and the Iranian forces will decide on the place and time to take action.

Against this backdrop, tensions soar in the Red Sea, the main sea route of the Middle East countries

The strategic importance of the Red Sea is being further highlighted, occasioned by the outbreak of a war between Hamas and Israel.

The anti-Israeli forces are intensifying their military action in the Red Sea to block the channel for supporting Israel’s massacre.

The U.S. deployed an aircraft carrier strike group in the Mediterranean under the pretext of protecting Israel and has brought a multinational force there to disperse and weaken the anti-Israeli forces and tip the scales in favor of the Zionists.

This infuriates regional countries, provoking their tough response.

Many countries and armed groups in the Middle East called for resolutely countering the U.S. provocation. Some days ago Iran deployed a warship in the sea and unveiled a new warship and missile launchers, saying that it faces an all-out battle against the enemies.

World media and analysts comment that the whole Middle East may turn into a strife-torn region due to the U.S. and Israel and there is a high possibility that it may spill over into other regions.

While expressing "concern" over the situation and urging Mideast countries to check the "evil cycle of violence", the U.S. has gone so impudent as to tout "Israel’s full preparations for self-defense."

This fully proves that the brigandish U.S., hell-bent on high-handed and arbitrary practices across the world and inflicting misfortune and pain upon humanity, is behind the ever-growing tensions in the Middle East.

The reality shows that the mankind’s desire for peace and prosperity can never come true as long as the U.S., whose inherent nature is aggression and plunder, exists, and that the dignity of a country and the security of its people can be defended only when it counters the U.S. on the power-for-power principle under the uplifted anti-imperialist, anti-U.S. banner.

Rodong Sinmun