Mehdi Chamran, the head of Tehran City Council, has praised Iran's role in shaping conflicts across the Middle East amid the worst tensions to face the region in recent history.

Chamran stated, "Without the Islamic Republic of Iran, there would be no Palestinians today, no Gaza to stand and fight, no Yemeni to show such steadfastness against America, and no Iraq, Syria, and Hezbollah in Lebanon."

Critics interpret Chamran's comments as an admission of Iran's involvement in exacerbating tensions and supporting militant factions, highlighting Iran's strategy of projecting influence beyond its borders, potentially destabilizing the region.

Given the ongoing tensions in the Middle East amid the Gaza war and international scrutiny of Iran's role in regional conflicts, Chamran's statement is likely to reignite debates over Iran's foreign policy objectives and its impact on regional stability.

The US recently called Iran the number one state sponsor of terror. In November, Yemen's Houthis launched a blockade of the Red Sea in allegiance with Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza, instigated by Iran's Supreme Leader, sparking a global trade and logistics crisis. 

Since the most recent Gaza war broke out in October triggered by Hamas's invasion of Israel, Iran's proxies in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Hezbollah have launched attacks on Israel and US targets in the region, expanding to global shipping in the Red Sea.