Iran warns if Israel attacks Lebanon it will start a “war of annihilation”

As retaliation attacks intensify, the Israeli military carried out a series of attacks on Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon.

Iran warned Israel of an “full-scale military invasion” in Lebanon, which it said would lead to a “war of annihilation.”

“All options are on the table, including the full participation of all resistance forces,” the UN delegation wrote in a post to X late Friday night.

Israel's threats to attack Hezbollah in Lebanon were called “psychological warfare” and “propaganda.”

Since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict on October 7, shootouts have been fought on a daily basis on the border between the Israeli army and Hezbollah. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this month that Israel is preparing a “very tight operation” at the border with Lebanon, which raised concerns about a full-scale war.

The Israeli military has carried out a series of attacks against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, an Israeli military spokesman said early Saturday.

According to Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, “In the past few hours, fighter jets have attacked multiple Hezbollah targets, such as the organization's military base in the Zabkin area, two operational infrastructure bases in the Kiam area, and Hezbollah buildings in the Al Addissa (Odaisse) district.”

Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the country doesn't want a war with Hezbollah, but the military is ready for it.

“We are working on a political solution. That's always the better option,” Gallant said Friday during a visit to troops near the northern border between Israel and Lebanon.

Gallant said in the US this week that Israel is “prepared for every scenario.”

“Hezbollah understands very well that we can cause enormous damage to Lebanon if war starts,” he said in Washington DC.

Hassan Nasrallah of Hezbollah has threatened to start a war “without restraint, rules, or limits” if Israel launches a large-scale attack against Lebanon.

Amid heightened tension, several countries, such as Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, and the United States, are urging their citizens to avoid leaving or traveling to Lebanon.