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Responding to the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah by Israeli airstrikes, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday urged Muslims “to stand by the people of Lebanon and the proud Hezbollah with whatever means they have and assist them in confronting the … wicked regime (of Israel)”.
Khamenei, who Reuters reported had been moved to a secure location inside Iran, in a series of statements on the killing of Nasrallah, declared five days of mourning, and vowed that “his blood will not go unavenged.”
“(Nasrallah) was not an individual. He was a path and a school of thought and the path will be continued,” Khamenei said.
“The fate of this region will be determined by the forces of resistance, with Hezbollah at the forefront,” Khamenei was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters in a reaction to the Israeli offensive on Beirut on Friday.
He also warned Israeli “criminals must know that they are far too small to cause any significant damage on the strongholds of Hezbollah in Lebanon. All the resistance forces in the region support and stand alongside Hezbollah.”
The attack raises the possibility of Iran being drawn into the conflict, given its role as Hezbollah’s principal backer. However, Iran has so far been reluctant to directly engage in the fighting with Israel.
“The people of Lebanon have not forgotten the days when the military of the usurping regime marched to Beirut. It was Hezbollah that cut off their advance and brought dignity and pride to Lebanon. Today, with God’s strength, Lebanon will again force the vile, malevolent enemy to regret its actions,” he said in a message read on state TV.
“The terrorist gang ruling Zionist regime hasn’t learned from its 1yr criminal war in Gaza doesn’t understand the massacre of women, children, & civilians cannot hurt strong structure of Resistance or bring it to its knees”, Khamenei said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Reports revealed that the Israeli security cabinet had initially hesitated to execute plans to kill Nasrallah. However, once it was confirmed he would be attending a meeting at the command complex, the plan was approved under the operation codenamed “New Order”.
Reports in Israeli media indicated that Nasrallah’s assassination was carried out by a squadron of F15I jets armed with bunker-busting bombs. Although Israel refused to confirm whether these were the US-supplied type 84 munitions, it declined to comment further.
In recent days, Israel has shifted the focus of its military operations from Gaza to Lebanon. The intensive bombing has resulted in more than 700 deaths and displaced over 100,000 people, despite growing international calls for a ceasefire, including from the US.
On Saturday, Israel’s army chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, stated: “The message is simple, anyone who threatens the citizens of Israel: we will know how to reach them.”
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