Air Raid Against Iran-Backed Groups in Syria Leaves Casualties

A statement posted on the Iranian mission's X account said Hezbollah "has the capability to defend itself and Lebanon."

"Perhaps the time for the self-annihilation of this illegitimate regime has come," it said.

"Any imprudent decision by the occupying Israeli regime to save itself could plunge the region into a new war, the consequence of which would be the destruction of Lebanon's infrastructure as well as that of the 1948 occupied territories," the Iranian mission warned.

It also called Israel the "ultimate loser" of the possible war.

The statement came after Israeli officials told the US they are planning to shift resources from southern Gaza to northern Israel in preparation for a possible offensive against Hezbollah.

However, US officials are worried that Hezbollah may overwhelm Israel’s air defense including the Iron Dome.

Tel Aviv has communicated to the US concerns of the vulnerability of Israeli air defense against precision-guided munitions and missiles from Iran-backed Hezbollah, three US officials have told CNN.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Wednesday that his forces, armed and trained by Iran, can target anywhere in Israel, in the event of a full-blown war.

In his televised speech Wednesday, Nasrallah said “there will be no place safe from our missiles and our drones” in Israel.

One day earlier, the Hezbollah-affiliated outlets had published footage that they claimed were shot by a drone flying over residential and military sites deep in Israeli territory.

The Lebanese group is widely believed to have amassed more than 100,000 missiles, and its leader has repeatedly boasted about weapons that he claims have not been used so far in its eight months of low-key but constant fighting with Israel.

Hezbollah has been firing rockets at Israel in solidarity with fellow Iran-backed militant group Hamas since the Gaza war erupted in October, forcing tens of thousands to flee homes in Israel.

Amir Saeid Iravani voiced his criticism of the US claims in letters addressed to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council on Wednesday amid the Houthis' blockade of the Red Sea region.

The denial followed a statement from Robert Wood, the US representative at the UN, who told a Security Council briefing on Yemen in June that Iran continues to support and enable Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, violating the arms embargo.

Wood emphasized that “Iran should not be permitted to hide behind the Houthis. It must comply with the Council’s resolutions and cease its provision of weapons.”

Iravani, in his response, wrote: “On numerous occasions, Iran has made it clear that it is committed to the Security Council's relevant resolutions on the situation in Yemen and has not engaged in activities contravening these resolutions.”

However, Iran arms, trains and funds the militia, which has been at the heart of a decade-long civil war in Yemen.

Since November, the Houthis, who control Yemen's capital and its most populous regions, have attacked international shipping in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

During this period, they have conducted over 60 targeted attacks on specific vessels and launched additional missiles and drones, resulting in the deaths of four sailors and kidnap of dozens more.

The attacks commenced following a call from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in early November for Muslim nations to blockade Israeli trade.

Spokesman Nasser Kanani said Iran reserves the right to respond “proportionately.”

"The IRGC, an institution integral to Iran's national security, derives its legitimacy from the Iranian constitution," Kanani asserted while emphasizing the IRGC's role in safeguarding Iran's borders and combating terrorism regionally.

The IRGC was designated as a terrorist organization by Canada under its criminal code, enabling law enforcement to charge those supporting the group financially or materially. Thousands of senior Iranian government officials, including top IRGC officials, will now be prohibited from entering Canada as a result of the decision and those there are now at risk of arrest.

Due to potential retribution concerns and amid Iran's policy of diplomatic hostage taking, Canada has advised its citizens and dual nationals to leave Iran.

The IRGC is a significant military, political, and economic entity in Iran, working under the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei with over 190,000 active personnel across ground forces, navy, and air force units.

Plots such as assassinations and kidnappings by the group have been uncovered globally from South America to Europe.

"The decision to list the IRGC through the Criminal Code listing regime sends a strong message that Canada will use all tools at its disposal to combat the terrorist activity of the IRGC, conducted both unilaterally and in knowing association with listed terrorist entities such as Hizballah and Hamas," the Canadian government statement said.

In his televised speech Wednesday, Nasrallah said “there will be no place safe from our missiles and our drones” in Israel.

One day earlier, the Hezbollah-affiliated outlets had published footage that they claimed were shot by a drone flying over residential and military sites deep in Israeli territory.

The Lebanese group is widely believed to have amassed more than 100,000 missiles, and its leader has repeatedly boasted about weapons that he claims have not been used so far in its eight months of low-key but constant fighting with Israel.

In his Wednesday remarks, Nasrallah also reminded his audience that some Iranian drones and missiles did get through Israeli air defense systems despite support from the US and other European countries.

On 13 April, Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones in its first ever direct attack on Israel in retaliation for the targeting of its consulate in Damascus twelve days earlier.

Nasrallah also threatened Cyprus for the first time, accusing the small Mediterranean country of helping Israel.

“The Cypriot government must be warned that opening Cypriot airports and bases for the Israeli enemy to target Lebanon means that the Cypriot government has become part of the war and the resistance will deal with it as part of the war.”

Cyprus has in the past allowed Israel to use its airspace for air drills, but not during conflict, as far as public information goes.

During a Monday phone call, Ali Bagheri Kani and Amir Khan Muttaqi, the respective Foreign Ministers of Iran and the Taliban, underscored the imperative of unified Islamic efforts to exert pressure on Israel, particularly through the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

Iran's ambassador in Kabul recently declared that "martyrdom" forces from the Taliban would also be dispatched to Gaza, where Iran-backed Hamas is fighting Israel, if necessary. This is while Israeli forces control the borders of the strip.

Despite Iran seeking the Taliban's support in the event of further escalation, Aminullah Habibi, a senior international relations analyst, indicated to Afghan International that while Iran might sway some Afghans, the Taliban as a cohesive entity is unlikely to engage in a war against Israel.

However, Iran has been funding the Taliban to support its fight against the US, as disclosed by former US Defense Department adviser Carter Malkasian, who revealed that since 2012, Iran has given annually funding in the region of $100 million.

The relationship between Iran and the Taliban has been fraught with tension, primarily due to water rights and border security issues. The Helmand River, crucial for Iran’s eastern provinces, has been a major point of contention. Iran accuses Afghanistan of violating the 1973 Helmand River Treaty by restricting the river's flow, impacting agriculture and drinking water. In May last year, late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned the Taliban about disregarding Iran's water rights, but the Taliban dismissed the threat mocking him, leading to heightened tensions and fatal border clashes.
The poorly demarcated Iran-Afghanistan border has also become a hotspot for smuggling, illegal crossings, and skirmishes. The Taliban's resurgence has exacerbated such issues, with frequent incidents of violence and mutual accusations.
Adding to these challenges is the influx of Afghan refugees into Iran following the Taliban's takeover has strained Iran's resources and infrastructure, heightening security concerns.

Since October 7, Iran's proxies in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon have been attacking the Jewish state in allegiance with Hamas. On the deadliest single day for Jews since the Holocaust, over 3,000 Hamas forces invaded Israel killing 1,200 mostly civilians and taking another 251 hostage.

Since then, in allegiance with Hamas, Hezbollah has launched over 3,300 projectiles towards Israel with around 200,000 people displaced both on Lebanon's southern border and in Israel's north.

Israeli political and military chiefs have declared that measures are now in place should a war in Lebanon be authorized, as tensions between the two nations are the worst since the second Lebanon war.

Recent warnings from US officials cautioned Israel against a "limited" or "regional" war in Lebanon, highlighting the risk of uncontrollable escalation and potential Iranian intervention.