'Middle East is a boiler that can explode' - Borrell
Josep Borrell, senior EU diplomat (photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
The head of the European Union's diplomacy, Josep Borrell, believes that the Middle East has turned into a "boiler" that could explode. In his opinion, Israel's war with Hamas has triggered a "domino effect."
After the U.S. army's strikes on Iranian-affiliated groups in Syria and Iraq, Borrell warned the world against further escalation in the Middle East.
"Everyone should try to avoid the situation becoming explosive. The Middle East is a boiler that can explode," he said before the meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
According to Borrell, the conflict between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group in the Gaza Strip has created a "domino effect." He added that the situation in Gaza is creating a "very dire" situation.
"As long as the war in Gaza continues, it is very difficult to believe that the situation in the Red Sea will improve, because one thing is related to the other," the European diplomat added.
Situation in the Middle East
In October 2023, Hamas militants attacked Israeli territory and organized massacres of civilians. In response, Israel launched a large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip.
After that, the Yemeni Houthis, supported by Iran, began attacking civilian cargo ships in the Red Sea, which they believed to be connected to Israel. To stop the terror, the U.S. and British troops launched a campaign to destroy Houthi military facilities in Yemen. There have already been several waves of aerial bombardments of Yemeni territory.
In late January, a U.S. military base in Jordan was attacked by drones. According to the Pentagon, more than 40 American soldiers were injured in the attack, and three more were killed. The Pentagon said that the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah group was involved in the attack.
On the evening of February 2, the U.S. military struck more than 85 targets in Iraq and Syria. The strikes lasted about 30 minutes and targeted three sites in Iraq and four in Syria.
