3-11-2024 (TEHRAN) Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has issued a stern warning of retaliation against Israel and the United States, as Israeli forces conducted a rare naval commando operation in Lebanon.
Speaking on Saturday, Khamenei promised a “tooth-breaking response” to recent Israeli military actions, referring to the October 26 bombing of Iranian military installations that claimed four servicemen’s lives. The Israeli strike was reportedly in response to Iran’s earlier missile barrage on October 1.
The situation has grown more complex with Israel’s confirmation of a maritime raid in Lebanon’s coastal town of Batroun, where naval commandos captured an individual described as a “senior operative” of Hezbollah. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has ordered a formal complaint to the UN Security Council regarding the unprecedented operation.
Meanwhile, conflict continues to rage in Gaza, where the World Health Organization reported a concerning strike on a polio vaccination centre in Sheikh Radwan, resulting in injuries to four children among six casualties. The incident occurred as parents were bringing their children for immunisation, though Israeli forces have not commented on the attack.
The broader regional conflict has intensified since September, with Israel escalating its campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Recent strikes in Beirut’s southern district killed one person and wounded 15, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. The ongoing hostilities have resulted in at least 1,930 Lebanese casualties since the conflict’s escalation, based on health ministry figures.
In Israel, a Hezbollah rocket strike north of Tel Aviv wounded 19 people, with the militant group claiming responsibility for attacks on multiple targets, including the Glilot intelligence base.
The conflict has created a humanitarian crisis, displacing hundreds of thousands in Lebanon and devastating Gaza, where the death toll has reached 43,314, according to Hamas-run health ministry figures considered reliable by the UN. Israel has reported 370 military casualties since the ground offensive began last October.
