Iran threatens war if Israel attacks Lebanon

Iran threatens war if Israel attacks Lebanon

Iran on Saturday warned that “all Resistance Fronts”, a coalition of Iran and its regional allies, would confront Israel if it attacked Lebanon. This statement comes amid growing concerns of a broader regional conflict involving Israel and Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.

The two sides have been exchanging fire almost daily since the war in Gaza began.

The exchanges have intensified this month, with both sides escalating their rhetoric. Israel’s military recently stated that plans for an offensive in Lebanon had been “approved and validated”, prompting Hezbollah to threaten that no part of Israel would be spared in a full-scale conflict.

In a social media post, Iran’s mission to New York dismissed Israel’s threats as “psychological warfare”, but added, “Should [Israel] embark on full-scale military aggression, an obliterating war will ensue. All options, including the full involvement of all Resistance Fronts, are on the table.”

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The war in Gaza started in October when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel. Iran, which supports Hamas, has praised the attack but denied any direct involvement.

Alongside Hezbollah’s attacks on northern Israel, Iran-backed rebels in Yemen have targeted commercial ships in the Red Sea in solidarity with the Palestinians. Iran also supports other groups in the region and has not recognized Israel since the 1979 revolution.

Tensions soared in April after an airstrike destroyed Iran’s consulate in Damascus, killing seven Revolutionary Guards, including two generals. Iran retaliated with a drone and missile attack on Israel.

Iran’s state media later reported explosions in Isfahan, while US media quoted American officials saying Israel had conducted retaliatory strikes.