Iran’s mission to the UN has warned Israel that a full-scale attack on Lebanon would result in an “obliterating war” that could involve all of Iran’s allies in the region.
The mission wrote on X that it believes Israel’s recent threats against Lebanon could be “psychological warfare” and “propaganda” but said that if Israel does “embark on full-scale military aggression, an obliterating war will ensue.”
The mission added, “All options, including the full involvement of all Resistance Fronts, are on the table.”
It’s unclear if Iran would directly intervene if Israel invades southern Lebanon, but it’s likely that Shia militias allied with Iran and Hezbollah would get involved. A full-scale war in Lebanon could also involve the US, as the White House reportedly conveyed to Lebanon that it would support Israel against Hezbollah.
The US claims it is working to ease tensions on the Lebanon-Israel border, but it continues to provide military aid to Israel despite continued escalations and threats. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant recently threatened that Israel could bomb Lebanon “back to the stone age.”
Amos Hochstein, an advisor to President Biden who has been serving as an envoy to discuss Israel-Lebanon tensions, warned Beirut that the US cannot hold Israel back from launching a full-scale war.
Israeli media has reported that the Israeli military is not expected to be able to handle opening a second front in Lebanon due to losses it has taken in Gaza, signaling Israel might look for the US to bail it out if it invades.
