Iran has warned Israel that any attack on Hezbollah in Lebanon would lead to devastating consequences for the region. Tehran says Hezbollah is capable of defending itself and Lebanon, and that Israel would be the ‘ultimate loser’ in an all-out war.
Hezbollah, a political party and militant group that emerged during Lebanon’s civil war, has been a significant force in the country since the 2000s. Tehran’s statement on Friday came as fears of a major Israeli offensive in Lebanon continued to mount.
“Any imprudent decision by the occupying Israeli regime to save itself could plunge the region into a new war, the consequence of which would be the destruction of Lebanon’s infrastructure as well as that of the 1948 occupied territories,” Iran’s mission to the United Nations said in a social media post.
“Undoubtedly, this war will have one ultimate loser, which is the Zionist regime. The Lebanese Resistance Movement, Hezbollah, has the capability to defend itself and Lebanon – perhaps the time for the self-annihilation of this illegitimate regime has come.”
Israel also issued a threat to Iran-aligned Hezbollah on Friday with Foreign Minister Israel Katz saying “soon we will make the necessary decisions” about confronting the Lebanese group.
“The free world must unconditionally stand with Israel in its war against the axis of evil led by Iran and extremist Islam. Our war is also your war,” Katz said.
Amid the escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday said that Lebanon cannot become another Gaza.
Guterres expressed his profound concerns regarding the intensifying Israel-Lebanon tensions. He said that the UN is working to calm the situation.
While speaking to the reporters, Guterres said “One rash move – one miscalculation – could trigger a catastrophe that goes far beyond the border, and frankly, beyond imagination.”
“Let’s be clear: The people of the region and the people of the world cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza,” he added.
Since the Gaza war erupted in October, Hezbollah has been attacking Israel in solidarity with the Hamas. Thousands of people, especially in the border regions had fled due to the intensified attacks.
Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has threatened to attack Israel with rockets and drones if it launches a war in Lebanon, and has also threatened Cyprus, a European Union member, over its alleged support for Israel. Nasrallah accused Israel of conducting military exercises in Cyprus and planning to use the country’s airports and bases for military purposes if its own infrastructure is targeted.
Hezbollah began attacking military bases in northern Israel on October 8, a day after the outbreak of the war in Gaza, in what it calls a “support front” to back Palestinian groups. Israel has responded by bombing southern Lebanese villages and Hezbollah positions.
The war in Gaza has killed over 37,000 Palestinians, and Hezbollah has pledged to continue operations against the Israeli military until the war in Gaza ends.
