Iran: army commander threatens Israel with harsh response if it attacks Lebanon

The Commander of the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces has insisted that the so-called axis of resistance will not remain silent if “all-out war” breaks out between the Israeli occupation state and Hezbollah in Lebanon. General Kioumars Heydari made his comment amid the escalation of cross-border confrontations between the two sides.

On Sunday, Iranian media quoted Heydari as saying that, “Should the Zionist regime launch an attack on Lebanon and initiate a broad conflict with Hezbollah, the axis of resistance will not remain passive. A harsh and decisive response will be delivered to counter the Zionists’ malice.”

Last week, US officials revealed to CNN that the Israeli occupation state informed Washington of its readiness for a ground invasion and an air attack on Lebanon. According to the news network, Israeli officials told the US that “they are planning to shift resources from southern Gaza to northern Israel in preparation for a possible offensive against [Hezbollah].”

Another US official admitted to CNN that, “In the event of a full-blown war, the support Israel will need most is additional air defence systems and Iron Dome replenishments, which the US would provide.”

On Friday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “Let’s be clear: The people of the region and the people of the world cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza.” Guterres expressed his fears about the growing tensions between Hezbollah and the Israeli occupation state.

“There is no military solution,” Guterres pointed out during a press conference. “Further military escalation will only guarantee more suffering, more devastation to communities in Lebanon and Israel, and more potentially catastrophic consequences for the region.” The UN official also noted that, “It is time for reason and rationality. It is time for practical and pragmatic engagement by the parties with the diplomatic and political avenues available to them.”

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said recently that, “The enemy’s [Israel’s] military and security deterrence image are collapsing among its people and the world.” He added that, “The possibility of an incursion into the Galilee region in northern Israel remains plausible in the event of a war.”

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