Israel could cease to exist after Middle East conflict: Russian general — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): A senior Russian military official has said Israel is seeking to draw the United States and NATO member states deeper into the Middle East conflict, warning that the escalation could ultimately lead to Israel ceasing to exist “as a state.” Lieutenant General Apty Alaudinov, deputy chief of the Russian Armed Forces’ Main Military-Political Department and commander of the Akhmat special forces unit, made the remarks in an interview with TASS. Alaudinov said the conflict in the Middle East would continue to escalate and claimed that Israel’s objective was to widen the war and involve the United States and the entire NATO bloc. “They are good at this. Ultimately, they will overestimate their strength and cease to exist as a state,” he said. The Russian military official added that “the war in the Middle East will only escalate.” His remarks come amid continuing tensions between Iran, Israel and the United States. According to TASS, the United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28. In June, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon.