Israeli Strikes on Lebanon Continue as Iran Warns Hezbollah ‘Cannot Stand Alone’
Israeli Strikes on Lebanon Continue as Iran Warns Hezbollah ‘Cannot Stand Alone’
Tensions in the Middle East escalated on Tuesday as Israel launched strikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, prompting retaliatory rocket fire into northern Israel. The conflict, which has sparked widespread concern about a broader regional war, comes after nearly 500 people were killed in Lebanon on Monday following Israeli airstrikes, sending tens of thousands fleeing for safety.
Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, claimed responsibility for targeting several Israeli military positions overnight, including an explosives factory deep within Israel and the Megiddo airfield near Afula, attacking it three times. Israeli officials reported that more than 50 projectiles were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel on Tuesday morning, though most were intercepted by Israel’s defense systems.
The clashes have intensified fears of a wider conflict that could draw in the United States and Iran. Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, expressed grave concerns about the escalating violence but made clear that Hezbollah, which Iran helped establish in 1983, cannot stand alone against Israel’s Western-backed military might. Speaking to CNN, Pezeshkian said Hezbollah is facing a nation “being defended and supported by Western countries, European nations, and the United States.”
Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, described the situation as on the brink of “full-fledged war.” Addressing world leaders gathered at the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York, Borrell pointed to the growing civilian casualties and intensifying strikes, saying, “If this is not a war situation, I don’t know what you would call it.” Diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the crisis are ongoing, but Borrell warned that Europe’s worst fears of spillover conflict are becoming a reality.
A senior U.S. State Department official confirmed that Washington is in talks with its allies to explore “concrete ideas” to prevent the conflict from expanding. However, despite these efforts, Monday marked the bloodiest day in Lebanon since the country’s 15-year civil war that began in 1975.
Israel’s recent airstrikes, which have targeted Hezbollah positions with increasing frequency, are aimed at forcing the militant group into a diplomatic solution or halting its rocket attacks on Israel. Some experts question the efficacy of military operations in achieving long-term de-escalation, pointing out that Hezbollah has signaled its willingness to cease hostilities if a ceasefire is implemented in Gaza.
Despite these calls, the cycle of violence continues. A U.S. official voiced skepticism about the current strategy, saying, “I can’t recall, at least in recent memory, a period in which an escalation or intensification led to a fundamental de-escalation and led to profound stabilization of the situation.”