Iran FM Meets Nasrallah, Threatens To Open Hezbollah War With Israel If 'Brutality' Against Gaza Doesn't Cease
On Friday Lebanese Hezbollah released a rare photograph of a meeting between Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. The two discussed the Gaza crisis and ongoing hostilities with Israel, also after days of internecine shelling and exchanges of fire along the Israel-Lebanon border.
Hezbollah's Media Relations Office's emphasized that the two allies discussed how to provide continued support to the Palestinian people amid what Hamas has dubbed its "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood" - which has resulted in the deaths of some 1,300 Israelis, including Americans. Israel has in the meantime dropped over 6,000 bombs on the Gaza Strip over a period of five days.
"From Beirut, we firmly declare that the international community and Islamic nations cannot stand idly by in the face of the persistent war crimes perpetrated by the Israeli entity against the Palestinian populace," Amir-Abdollahian said.
And importantly according to one Beirut-based news source, "He also stressed that a new front against Israel could be opened if the brutality unleashed against the population of Gaza and the occupied West Bank continues."
"In the case of the continuation of war crimes and the humanitarian blockade of Gaza and Palestine, every possibility and decision by the other currents of the resistance is possible,” the Iranian foreign minister stated. "The forced displacement of Palestinians within a mere three days, coupled with the denial of basic necessities such as water, electricity, and medicine to the people of Gaza, unequivocally constitutes a grave war crime on the part of the Zionist entity."
The top Iranian diplomat had also met with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati. The two discussed the possibility of the war spreading. In prior battles between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli forces typically punish the whole country of Lebanon, for example with attacks on Beirut airport - as happened in 2006.
Meanwhile there are fresh reports that Israeli forces have shelled south Lebanon once again on Friday:
ISRAELI SHELLING HITS LEBANESE ARMY OBSERVATION IN DHAYRA, SOUTH LEBANON – THREE SOURCES
⚡️View of south Lebanon
— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) October 13, 2023
The regime struck with artillery pic.twitter.com/hcydrdQW3f
A Times of Israel correspondent writes:
IDF says an explosion slightly damaged a section of the security wall on the Lebanon border near Hanita. Troops responding with artillery fire, and scanning the area for possible suspects that infiltrated into Israel.
Iran FM Amir-Abdollahian on Thursday was in Iraq, and he is due to visit Damascus on Friday. On Thursday, Israeli airstrikes disabled both international airports in Damascus and Aleppo, in what was widely seen as a 'message' to Assad and Iran.
Israeli helicopters have been spotted over or near south Lebanon...
While Iranian officials are in Beirut and Damascus, US officials continue visiting Tel Aviv to show support for Israel, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin being the latest to meeting with Israeli officials Friday.
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Rare footage of Israel's Thursday airstrikes on Damascus International Airport:
When it comes to events at Damascus Intl. Airport it is extremely rare to get any footage, mostly due to it being at night - however, footage from today of the airstrikes targeting the runway. pic.twitter.com/COHxkZCHn8
— Aurora Intel (@AuroraIntel) October 12, 2023
