Nicaragua severs diplomatic relations with Israel

Ortega’s govt labels Israeli govt 'fascist', 'genocidal' and warns of escalating threats in Lebanon, Syria and Iran

MANAGUA:

Nicaragua has announced on Friday that it is severing diplomatic ties with Israel, labelling the Israeli government as "fascist" and "genocidal."

The Nicaraguan government cited Israel's actions in Palestinian territories as the reason for this decision.

Earlier in the day, the country's congress passed a resolution urging Nicaragua to take this step to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the Gaza conflict. The Nicaraguan government also stated that the conflict now extends to Lebanon and poses significant threats to Syria, Yemen, and Iran.

The Middle East remains on high alert for potential regional escalation after Iran launched missiles at Israel on 1 October. Iran, which supports the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah, has been targeted by Israel in a series of recent deadly strikes.

Iran is also a key ally of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's government.

Nicaragua has become increasingly isolated in recent years, particularly following Ortega's crackdown on anti-government protests in 2018, which, according to human rights organisations, resulted in around 300 deaths.