‘Israel has a very clear message to our enemies. We are saying to them, look what’s happening in Gaza – you are going to get the same treatment if you attack us. We are going to wipe you off the face of the Earth.’

Nir Barkat has said drastic action will be taken against Tehran if its ally Hezbollah joins the war. Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat warned on Sunday that the military is ready to eliminate the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah and strike Iran if they open up a northern front in the current conflict.  

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‘The plan of Iran is to attack Israel on all fronts. If we find they intend to target Israel, we will not just retaliate to those fronts, but we will go to the head of the snake, which is Iran,’ Barkat told media. He added ’ The ayatollahs in Iran are not going to sleep well at night if they move against Israel.’

Barkat warned that Lebanon and Hezbollah, which is backed by Tehran, are going to pay a heavy price, similar to what Hamas is going to pay. ‘Israel has a very clear message to our enemies. We are saying to them, look what’s happening in Gaza – you are going to get the same treatment if you attack us. We are going to wipe you off the face of the Earth.’

The statement came after Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Monday that the security situation for Israel may worsen very quickly. ’If the war crimes against the Palestinians are not immediately stopped, other multiple fronts will open and this is inevitable,’ he said. 

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The Iranian diplomat later doubled down, warning the US and Israel that, if they do not stop mistreating the Palestinians, ‘anything is possible at any moment and the region will go out of control.’ Amir-Abdollahian added that further escalation would have far-reaching repercussions.

The IDF and Hezbollah have repeatedly exchanged fire since the fighting erupted between Israel and Hamas earlier this month. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Sunday that Hezbollah would suffer unprecedented destruction if it officially joined the war.

The Israeli army made several large-scale incursions in Lebanon to fight the militants there in the past. The most recent invasion took place in 2006. On October 7, Hamas and allied Palestinian groups attacked multiple Israeli settlements, prompting Israel to begin airstrikes on Gaza.

‘Meanwhile, the Gaza conflict may spin out of control,’ says Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has accused the US of waging a proxy war against Palestinians and warned of dire consequences if the bombardment of Gaza is not stopped and Israel launches a ground assault.

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Speaking at a press conference with his South African counterpart Naledi Pandor in Tehran on Sunday, the Iranian diplomat said it was a bitter and unfortunate reality that US President Joe Biden made an extraordinary wartime visit to Tel Aviv this week to show support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government amid the bombardment of the Palestinian enclave and a lack of humanitarian aid.

‘It’s a great shame that the American president announced that the US would dispatch hundreds of planes, troops, ships and trucks filled with military equipment to the occupied territories to support the mass murder that Israel is committing in Gaza but has managed to coordinate plans for only 20 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to enter the besieged enclave,’ he noted.

Amir-Abdollahian called the situation in the region a ’powder keg’ and warned of ’heavy and bitter consequences.’ If the US and the Israeli regime do not stop their crimes against humanity immediately, there will be a possibility of anything at any moment and the region may spin out of control,’ Amir-Abdollahian argued.

Speaking to ABC News on Sunday, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also warned of ’the prospect of a significant escalation.’ He vowed to do everything necessary to protect the American forces stationed in the region and continue Washington’s support for its longtime ally Israel. You can share this story on social media: