Reminds Iran Not To Interfere In Hamas-Israel Crisis, US Highest General: We Don't Want This To Expand

JAKARTA - The United States' highest general warned Iran not to engage in the escalation between Israel and Hamas, but also asked Tehran to convey a message that the conflict would not spread, as Hezbollah's group fired rockets at northern Israel.

"Don't get involved," said Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown, when asked for a message for Iran.

Israel and Hezbollah were involved in cross-border fire on Monday, with three people on the side of Hezbollah and one person on the Israeli side killed as a result of the incident.

This cross-border violence marks a significant expansion of the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza, down to the Israel-Lebanon border further north.

"We want to send a strong enough message. We don't want this to spread and the idea is for Iran to convey the message clearly and clearly," General Brown said in his first public comments since his inauguration last month.

Earlier, Iran's Mission to the United Nations said on Sunday it was not involved in Hamas' attack on Gaza the day before, leading to hundreds of people being killed and held hostage.

"The decisive step taken by Palestine is a fully legitimate defense against the typical occupation of seven decades and the heinous crimes committed by the illegitimate Zionist regime," Iran's mission at the United Nations said in a statement.

"We firmly support Palestine, however, we are not involved in the Palestinian response, because it is only done by Palestine itself," explained Iran's mission at the United Nations.

Yesterday, the White House said Iran was involved, although the United States does not have intelligence or evidence showing Iran's direct participation in the Hamas group's attack on Israel.

It is known that Iran-backed Hezbollah was involved in a brutal war with Israel for a month in 2006.