Hezbollah may carry out an independent strike on Israel before Iran does, CNN has reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The Lebanon-based Islamist movement and Iran have both threatened retaliation against the Jewish state following the killing of senior figures.
Hezbollah is moving faster than Iran in its planning and may strike Israel in the coming days, CNN cited one of its sources as saying. Iran, meanwhile, appears to be still working out how to respond, the outlet added.
Israel said in late July that it had killed Hezbollah’s top military commander Fu’ad Shukr in a strike on the Lebanese capital Beirut. The Jewish state is also widely believed to have been behind last week’s assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Israel has not claimed responsibility for Haniyeh’s death but had previously threatened to eliminate the leadership of the Palestinian militant group.
Hezbollah could strike with little or no notice due to being Israel’s direct neighbor to the north, one of CNN’s sources claimed.
West Jerusalem has warned that if the Lebanese-based group harms Israeli civilians as part of its retaliation, the Israel Defense Force’s response would be disproportionate, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing Israeli officials.
According to a report in Politico, Iran may be reconsidering launching a large-scale attack on Israel. The Biden administration has worked through diplomatic channels to discourage Tehran from a multi-pronged attack, highlighting a risk of a direct war between Iran and Israel, the outlet wrote on Thursday, citing senior US officials. It had been reported previously that Iran was expected to strike Israel on Monday.
Russia has strongly condemned the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, warning that his death would negatively impact ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel, and potentially spark a sharp escalation in the region.
In April, Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel in response to the Israeli bombing of its consulate in Syria. The barrage was mostly countered by Israel’s Iron Dome air-defense systems, but a number of missiles reached their targets, causing what Israel said was minimal damage to military installations.
Tensions between Iran and Israel peaked after Hamas launched a surprise attack on the Jewish state on October 7. In response, West Jerusalem started an offensive in Gaza, causing unprecedented destruction in the Palestinian enclave. Hostilities between Israel and Hamas have so far claimed the lives of more than 40,000 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis.