Hezbollah leader Nasrallah threatens to attack Israel "regardless of the consequences"
Will Israel attack "alone or as part of a united response from the entire axis" remain unclear, Hezbollah leader Nasrallah hinted, referring to Iran-backed groups hostile to Israel in the Middle East region.
For days, an Iranian and allied retaliatory strike against Israel has been anticipated. International diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation are in full swing.
After the Israel-linked fatal attack on Hamas chief Haniyeh in Tehran last week, Iran had threatened retaliation. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani confirmed at the start of the week that his country has "the undeniable right to defend its national security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity".
Israel has not commented on Haniyeh's killing, but Tehran holds it responsible, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatening "severe punishment".
Hours before Haniyeh's killing, Israel also assassinated Fuad Shukr, the top Hezbollah commander in a Beirut suburb controlled by the Shiite militia. Nasrallah then announced "a new phase on all support fronts" against Israel, referring to other Iran-funded and armed groups.
"Our enemy is waiting in great fear," Nasrallah said in his TV address following Shukr's killing last week. "Waiting is part of Israel's punishment."
Nearly five months ago, Iran directly attacked Israel from its territory for the first time, using more than 300 rockets and drones. Iran has denied Israel's right to exist since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and supports an "axis of resistance" it has declared, including the radical Islamic Hamas in Gaza and affiliated militias such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and groups in Iraq and Syria.
Since the start of the war in Gaza, triggered by Hamas' unprecedented large-scale attack on southern Israel on October 7, Hezbollah has been nearly daily attacking Israel's north from Lebanon with rockets. The Israeli army responds in kind. Tens of thousands of civilians on both sides of the border have had to be evacuated due to the clashes.
The European Union, along with other international bodies, is actively involved in diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the ongoing tension between Iran and Israel. The European Union, being a significant player in global politics, could potentially play a role in mediating or advocating for peace between the two countries.
