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Iran warns Israel: ‘Lebanon will be hell for Zionists’

July 17, 2024 at 2:27 pm

Iran’s Interim Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani in Vienna on August 4, 2022 [ALEX HALADA/AFP via Getty Images]

Iran’s Acting Foreign Minister, Ali Bagheri Kani, has issued a stark warning to Israel that Lebanon will “definitely be a hell for the Zionists” if the occupation army launches a full-scale war on the country. Kani made his comment after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the UN headquarters in New York, reported Mehr news agency.

“The Zionists cannot make up for their failures in Gaza by expanding their war-mongering in other areas in the region,” he asserted.

The Iranian official said that Israel’s increased tensions with Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah would backfire. “The experience has proven that the more the Zionists create tension in the region and commit crimes, they immerse themselves in the mire of more serious threats and dangers.”

Referring to past conflicts, he added that Lebanon saw “historical defeats” for the Zionists in 2000 and 2006.

READ: Hezbollah MP warns Israel not to wage war on Lebanon

The acting minister’s comments came amid daily exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israeli forces along Lebanon’s southern border with the occupation state. Tensions have escalated, particularly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced preparations for “a very tense operation” on the border with Lebanon.

Speaking today, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said that the resistance group will hit new targets in Israel if the occupation state keeps killing civilians in Lebanon.

“Continuing to target civilians will push the resistance to launch missiles at settlements that were not previously targeted,” Nasrallah said during a televised address to mark the Muslim holy Day of Ashura.

In his meeting with Lavrov, Kani discussed regional developments and bilateral relations, and spoke of the need for continued dialogue and cooperation between Tehran and Moscow. He also condemned the ongoing actions of the occupation state in Gaza, calling for an immediate end to the violence.

Kani is attending the UN Security Council meetings on Palestine and multilateralism, chaired by Lavrov, as Russia currently holds the council’s presidency.

READ: Iran open to resuming nuclear accord talks – acting Foreign Minister