A series of Iranian warnings indicate a growing risk of the Israel-Hamas war expanding beyond its current geographic scope, with Tehran able to use multiple mechanisms to attack Israel and the West if it chooses. On Oct. 14, Axios, citing two diplomatic sources, reported that Iran had sent a backchannel communication through the United Nations to Israel saying that it does not seek escalation in the current Israel-Hamas war, but would be forced to intervene if Israel moves forward with its expected ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. In an interview with Al Jazeera the following day, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian publicly warned Israel against invading Gaza, with Iranian state media quoting him as saying that ''Iran cannot remain a spectator'' if Israeli troops go into the strip and that the United States would also face ''significant damages'' in the wake of such an incursion....
