Following Israel’s military strikes on southern Lebanon on 16 June, which resulted in the deaths of four people, Iran’s ‘Khatam al-Anbia’ Central Command threatened to take retaliatory measures.
The strikes were carried out following the announcement of an agreement between the US and Iran aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East.
The ‘Hatem al-Anbia’ headquarters, which coordinates the Iranian Armed Forces, stated that if Israel does not cease its attacks on southern Lebanon, it should expect a ‘harsh response’ from the Islamic Republic.
The statement claims that since US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire agreement, the Israeli military has ‘violated’ the ceasefire 84 times in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon had previously reported that four people had been killed as a result of Israeli attacks in the south of the country.
Meanwhile, Israel has stated that it intercepted several rockets fired by ‘Hezbollah’ and carried out retaliatory strikes.
Following announcements that an agreement had been reached between the US and Iran to end the war, the Israeli authorities stated that they had no intention of withdrawing troops from the areas in southern Lebanon controlled by the IDF.
In particular, Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, stated that the agreements between Washington and Tehran do not impose any obligations on Israel.
According to Ben-Gvir, Israel must not agree to anything less than the elimination of Hezbollah and must not withdraw its troops from the territory it has captured in southern Lebanon.
The pro-Iranian group Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organisation by the US and Israel. In the European Union, Hezbollah’s military wing is designated as a terrorist organisation, but not the political party.
The Jerusalem Post, citing sources within the Israeli army, reported that if Hezbollah adheres to the ceasefire, the Israeli army will not carry out strikes on Lebanese territory.