Iran warned on Saturday that “all resistance fronts” comprising Iran and its regional allies would fight Israel if it attacked Lebanon.
The comments by Iran’s mission in New York come amid fears of a wider regional war between Israel and Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. There has been almost daily exchange of fire between the two sides since the war in Gaza began.
Such exchanges have increased this month, along with warlike rhetoric from both sides. Israel’s military said plans to invade Lebanon had been “approved and validated,” prompting Hezbollah to respond that no Israeli citizen would be spared in a full-blown conflict.
In a post on social media platform X, the Iranian mission said it “regards the Zionist regime’s propaganda about its intention to attack Lebanon as psychological warfare”.
But, it also said, “If he launches a full-scale military offensive, a catastrophic war will begin. All options, including the full involvement of all resistance fronts, are under consideration.”
The war in Gaza began in October when Palestinian militants from Hamas attacked southern Israel.
Iran, which supports Hamas, has described the attack as a success but has denied its involvement in it.
Alongside Hezbollah’s attacks on northern Israel, Iran-backed rebels in Yemen have repeatedly attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea region in what they say is a show of solidarity with the Palestinians.
Iran also supports other groups in the region.
The Islamic Republic has not recognised Israel since the 1979 revolution that toppled the United States-backed shah of Iran.
Fears of a regional war also grew in April, when an airstrike hit Iran’s consulate in Damascus and killed seven Revolutionary Guards soldiers, including two generals.
Iran retaliated with an unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel on April 13–14.
Iran’s state media later reported explosions in Isfahan province, while US media quoted American officials as saying Israel had carried out retaliatory strikes on its arch rival.
Tehran downplayed reports of Israeli attack.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
