Tension is rising further in the Middle East after Israel’s offensive in Lebanon and the threat to also hit Beirut, apparently with the green light from the Americans.
“We will not hesitate to act in any way to help the Lebanese resistance against the illegal aggression and interference of the Zionist regime,” threatens Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei. Europe also intervenes, asking Israel “to put an end to the military escalation in Lebanon and to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country”. But Prime Minister Netanyahu goes straight: “There will not be a situation in which Hezbollah attacks our cities and our citizens while the terrorist headquarters in Dahiye”, the southern outskirts of the capital, “remain out of reach”.
Bloomberg: “Iran stops exchanging messages with the US”
Iran interrupts exchange of messages with the United States in protest at Israel’s escalation in Lebanon. This was reported by the Bloomberg agency, citing the Iranian Tasnim.
“Truce seriously at risk if attacks against Lebanon do not cease”
Iranian state television said “the likelihood that the ceasefire between Iran and the United States will collapse is high if Israeli attacks on Lebanon do not cease.” The Arab media Al Arabiya reported it on X.
IDF: “We continue to attack in Lebanon, from Dahyeh to Tyre, wherever there is a threat”
“The IDF is attacking and will continue to attack throughout Lebanon, from Dahyeh to Tyre. Wherever there is a threat to Israeli citizens and IDF forces, we will act to eliminate it.” IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin said this in a video message. “Control of the Beaufort Ridge has important operational implications. It is a fundamental geographical resource for Hezbollah, which constitutes the nerve center of the organization. From there, it controls the fire and observation of the communities of Galilee and Metula. Since the beginning of the ‘Lion’s Roar’ operation, over 400 launches have been carried out from this area”, added Defrin.
Iran: “Ready to completely close the Strait of Hormuz”
Iran and its allies “have put on the agenda the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz” and “the activation of other fronts, including the Bab al-Mandab Strait”, between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, to “punish the Zionists (Israel) and “their supporters”: this was reported by Tasnim, a news agency close to the Pasdaran.
Katz: “If there is no peace in northern Israel, there will be no peace in Beirut”
”The treatment of Dahyie in Beirut (the Hezbollah stronghold south of the capital, ed.) will be the same as that of the communities in northern Israel: if there is no peace in the north, there will be no peace in Beirut. We do not consent to a reality in which our communities and citizens are attacked while silence is preserved in Beirut”. Defense Ministry Israel Katz said this during the turnover ceremony for the director of the ministry’s security department. ”In parallel, the IDF continues to work to dismantle the terrorist organization’s capabilities in the field, to eliminate threats against our soldiers and citizens, and to transform the Litani region into an area under IDF security control, free of weapons and terrorists,” Katz added.