Nicaragua announced on Friday that it is severing diplomatic ties with Israel, condemning the Israeli government as “fascist” and “genocidal” in response to its attacks on Palestinian territories. The Nicaraguan government stated that this decision was influenced by Israel’s military actions in Gaza and beyond.
Earlier that day, Nicaragua’s congress passed a resolution urging the government to take action, aligning with the one-year anniversary of the Gaza war. According to Nicaragua’s statement, the ongoing conflict now extends to Lebanon and poses significant threats to Syria, Yemen, and Iran.
Tensions in the Middle East have heightened after Iran fired a barrage of missiles at Israel on October 1. Iran, a supporter of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, has seen its ally targeted by Israel in recent strikes. Iran is also a close ally of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s government, which has faced international isolation in recent years following a violent crackdown on anti-government protests in 2018, resulting in an estimated 300 deaths according to human rights organizations.
