Iran and its allies wanted to stop the fierce Israeli attacks that the Jewish state was carrying out in the Gaza Strip against the Palestinians, an Indian Navy veteran has said.
The comments of Commodore Seshadri Vasan (Retd), a former officer in the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), come amid a sharp rise in hostilities between the US-led military coalition called the "Operation Prosperity Guardian", Tehran and the groups loyal to the Islamic Republic.
Iran, Houthis Strike Back at US-Led Forces
After British and American forces conducted air and naval strikes on Houthi military centers last week, Iran and the Houthis hit back on Monday night with aerial raids on multiple targets in Iraq, and Syria, including on a Mossad spy center in Erbil.
"Ballistic missiles were used to destroy espionage centers and gatherings of anti-Iranian terrorist groups in the region late at night," the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement.
Against this backdrop, Vasan stressed that there was no doubt that things were hotting up in the Middle East.
Conflict in the Middle East Taking an Alarming Shape
According to him, the conflagration was taking an alarming shape, particularly after the US and the UK joined hands to carry out airstrikes on Houthi forces in Yemen.
Vasan mentioned that the British and American action was in retaliation to Houthi attacks on civilian naval vessels that were hurting freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
"After the Houthis began targeting cargo ships, the entire merchant fleet deserted the Red Sea, increasing both the travel time and cost of transporting goods from Europe to Asia or vice versa," the military pundit pointed out.
Iran, Houthis Want to End Israel's Fierce War in Gaza Through Their Actions, Expert Believes
"As of now, 24,000 people have already lost their lives in the Palestinian territory in the conflict. Therefore, the Houthis wanted to use their power and influence to control the situation in favor of the Palestinians," Vasan affirmed.
But with the coming together of multiple nations under the US leadership, forming a ten-country security alliance to guard ships there, a significant shift in the situation in the Middle East took place, he suggested.
On the other hand, Iran claimed that its forces hit Mossad's regional headquarters in Iraq, which meant that Tehran was now actively involved in the conflict. There were reports that the Iranians carried out strikes in Syria and Yemen as well, Vasan mentioned.
"So, there's a definite escalation in the region that has the potential to go out of hand if more and more regional allies continue to join hands with opposing sides," Vasan summed up.