Iran’s mission to the United Nations warned on Friday that if Israel initiates a “full-scale military aggression” against Hezbollah in Lebanon, it will lead to an “obliterating war.”
This statement followed Israel Defense Forces’ attacks on several Hezbollah positions, in response to the Iran-backed group’s recent barrage on northern Israel.
Tensions on the Lebanese border have been escalating amid these developments.
On Friday, Iran’s UN mission warned that if Israel were to escalate conflict against Hezbollah, they would consider all options, including full engagement of all resistance factions.
The “Axis of Resistance,” involving Hezbollah, Hamas, Yemen’s Houthis, and other groups in Syria and Iraq, has intensified actions against Israel since October 7.
Iran conducted an unprecedented missile and drone strike on Israel on April 14, following an alleged Israeli airstrike near Tehran’s embassy in Damascus that reportedly killed several senior officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Israel, along with support from the United States and other allies, largely intercepted the Iranian strike, though a 7-year-old girl was seriously injured in the attack.
In response to Hamas’s actions on October 7, which led to significant casualties, Israel evacuated much of its northern region out of concern that Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy in Lebanon, might initiate a similar assault.
Approximately 60,000 residents of northern Israel remain displaced as the country works to secure its northern border from the threat posed by the terror group.
Efforts led by the US to enforce the retreat of the terror group beyond the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) north of Israel’s border, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which concluded the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah conflict, have so far proven ineffective.
Steadily escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have raised concerns, according to a US official quoted in Politico on Thursday.
The official highlighted that the risk of war is currently higher than it has been in recent weeks, warning that a major attack from either side could rapidly escalate into a conflict with little advance notice.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in a speech on June 19, stated that in the event of a full-blown war, “no place” in Israel would be spared from the group’s weaponry.
He emphasised Hezbollah’s readiness to engage in conflict without restrictions or limitations.
Nasrallah also directed warnings towards Cyprus for its cooperation with Israel in military exercises.
Additionally, he hinted at potential actions targeting Israel’s offshore gas rigs, implying significant repercussions in the Mediterranean.
At a ceremony honoring senior Hezbollah commander Taleb Abdullah, who was killed by an Israeli airstrike a week prior, Nasrallah emphasized that the Shiite group does not desire “total war” but rather stands in solidarity with Hamas.
“We will persist in our support for Gaza and remain ready for any circumstance. We have no fear,” Nasrallah asserted. “Our demand is straightforward: a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire in Gaza.”
Israeli security leaders have expressed a preference for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict but have also made preparations for military readiness if necessary.
Addressing troops at an Iron Dome air defense battery in northern Israel on Friday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant emphasized that the country is “not seeking war.”
He highlighted the ongoing preparation of military capabilities while stressing the importance of pursuing political alternatives as a preferable course of action.