Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Warn Israel Against Retaliation

TEHRAN, Oct 17 (Reuters) – Iran’s top Revolutionary Guards commander issued a stern warning to Israel on Thursday, cautioning against retaliatory strikes following a recent missile barrage. The statement comes as Israel intensifies its military operations in Lebanon targeting Tehran-backed Hezbollah.

Hossein Salami, commander of the Guards, declared in a televised address that any Israeli aggression would be met with severe retaliation, asserting Iran’s capability to breach Israel’s defenses. This escalation follows Israel’s planned response to an October 1 missile attack by Iran, which was in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes on Iranian-aligned militants.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin engaged in talks with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday to prevent the conflict from widening across the Middle East. Concurrently, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo, where Egypt reiterated its call to limit the conflict’s expansion.

Despite diplomatic efforts, Israel shows no signs of easing its campaigns against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, maintaining its vow to punish Iran for the missile attack. Israeli strikes targeted Syria’s Latakia and Yemen’s Houthi-controlled areas, according to Syrian state media and the United States, respectively.

In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes resulted in the deaths of 11 Palestinians in Gaza City, while tank deployments in Jabalia raised concerns over critical shortages of food and medicine. On the northern front, Israel reported killing 45 Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon within 24 hours, including a battalion commander, and confiscating numerous weapons.

The ongoing conflict has resulted in over 2,350 deaths in Lebanon and displaced more than 1.2 million people, according to Lebanese health authorities. Israel has reported around 50 fatalities, including both soldiers and civilians. Evacuation warnings were issued for residents near Hezbollah facilities in eastern Lebanon, following the destruction of a municipal headquarters in Nabatieh, Lebanon’s provincial capital.

As hostilities persist, the risk of a broader regional war looms, with both sides showing determination to continue their military campaigns until their objectives are met.