By The Independent (World News) | Created at 2024-10-04 10:25:20 | Updated at 2024-10-07 20:31:07
3 days ago
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Iran has warned it will not back down from Israel after the Jewish state reportedly targeted the successor of Tehran-backed Hezbollah’s leader Nasrallah Hassan in Lebanon.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said his country, and his regional proxies across the Middle East, would carry on fighting Israel as tensions escalate across the region.
“The brilliant action of our armed forces a couple of nights ago was completely legal and legitimate”, Khamenei said of a massive missile barrage which saw over 100 rockets launched at Israel earlier in the week.
It comes after Beirut was rocked by huge explosions amid reports senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine, regarded as the militia’s next leader, was targeted in Israeli strikes.
Civilians were fleeing the series of massive blasts in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Thursday night, with state media reporting there were more than 10 consecutive airstrikes.
Iran’s “axis of resistance” comprises a group of violent proxies across Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and Palestine, coordinated by Iran’s Quds Force, the foreign arm of the IRGC.
The Quds Force’s aim is to export Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution abroad and is opposed to any US or Israeli influence in the Middle East.
Israel blocks Lebanon's main crossing to Syria
Israeli strikes sealed off Lebanon’s main border crossing with Syria early on Friday, hours after an intense Israeli attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs that is thought to have targeted the heir apparent to Hezbollah’s slain secretary general.
The strikes added to fears inside Lebanon that Israel’s targeting of Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militants will bring an all-out conflict, with Israel also poised to respond to Tuesday’s Iranian missile barrage on its territory.
Alexander Butler4 October 2024 11:15
Iran says it will not back down from Israel
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Tehran and its regional proxies will not back down from Israel.
It came just hours after an Israeli attack on Beirut that is thought to have targeted the successor apparent to Iran-backed Hezbollah’s slain secretary general Hassan Nasrallah.
“The brilliant action of our armed forces a couple of nights ago was completely legal and legitimate”, Khamenei said.
Iran’s “axis of resistance” comprises a group of violent proxies across Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and Palestine, coordinated by Iran’s Quds Force, the foreign arm of the IRGC.
The Quds Force’s aim is to export Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution abroad. The US assassinated the former head of the Quds Force, Qassem Solemaini, in January 2020.
Alexander Butler4 October 2024 10:51
Iran says 7 October attack was ‘legitimate'
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Hamas’s 7 October attack which killed 1,200 Israelis was legitimate.
Khamenei said the barbaric attack was the “minimum punishment” for Israel against their “astonishing crimes” on Friday.
He also called Israel a “vampire” regime, and its chief ally, the United States, a “rabid dog”.
Alexander Butler4 October 2024 10:39
Israel blocks Lebanon's main crossing to Syria
Israeli strikes sealed off Lebanon’s main border crossing with Syria early on Friday, hours after an intense Israeli attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs that is thought to have targeted the heir apparent to Hezbollah’s slain secretary general.
The strikes added to fears inside Lebanon that Israel’s targeting of Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militants will bring an all-out conflict, with Israel also poised to respond to Tuesday’s Iranian missile barrage on its territory.
Alexander Butler4 October 2024 10:15
Mapped: Israel ordered civilians to take cover in bomb shelters as Iran launches missiles
Alexander Butler4 October 2024 10:00
How ironclad is Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system?
Since Israel activated the Iron Dome in 2011, the cutting-edge rocket-defense system has intercepted thousands of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, including on Tuesday night when Iran launched a large scale missile attack.
The system has given residents a sense of security, and Israelis can often be seen watching the projectiles flying through the skies and destroying their targets overhead.
But the current war with Hamas, which has led to direct confrontations with Iran, might be its stiffest challenge yet.
Alexander Butler4 October 2024 09:30
Iran supreme leader Ali Khamenei to give first Friday sermon in 5 years
Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei will deliver a public sermon during today’s prayers, which could shed light on the country’s plans after firing 200 missiles at Israel.
Today’s sermon would be the Ayatollah’s first in almost five years and comes three days before the one-year anniversary of Israel’s war on Gaza.
Khamenei will lead the prayer at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla mosque in central Tehran, which will follow “a commemoration ceremony” at 10.30am (local time) for slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar4 October 2024 09:00
What are Israel and Iran’s attack and defence capabilities?
Alexander Butler4 October 2024 08:42
Pictured: Israelis gather around Iranian missile debris
Alexander Butler4 October 2024 08:40
Israel intercepts more rockets fired from Lebanon
The Israel Defence Force today said it intercepted some of the 20 rockets fired by Lebanon toward the Haifa area.
While most projectiles were intercepted, others struck open ground, the military said.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar4 October 2024 08:30
