New York, IRNA – Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia has strongly condemned the assassination of Hezbollah Leader Hassan Nasrallah in a Zionist Friday airstrike.

This assassination had catastrophic consequences for Lebanon and the whole Middle East, the Russian ambassador said, while addressing an emergency UN Security Council meeting on the developments in the Middle East on Wednesday, adding that Israel was well aware of these consequences and intentionally decided to do so.

He said that after a late July assassination of Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran was dragged into this confrontation. He, however, added that Iran exercised restraint for two months.  

Referring to the continuation of war in Gaza and a new Israeli invasion against Lebanon, he said that the Middle East is speedily escalating into an all-out war.  

In Gaza, the violent Israeli operations are still on the rise and the international community has to intervene to stop the war, the ambassador said.  

He expressed concern about an imminent Israeli ground operation against Lebanon as he said that the southern Lebanese borders with the Israeli-occupied territories are on edge.

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