Tensions Escalate as Iran Vows “Crushing Response” to Attacks on Hezbollah

Tensions in the Middle East have soared following unprecedented attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, with Iran vowing a “crushing response” against Israel, Al Jazeera reports.

The attacks, which occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday, targeted Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies, killing 37 people and injuring over 2,900. Lebanon and Hezbollah have blamed Israel for the blasts, with security sources pointing to the Mossad as the likely culprit.

Israel has not directly commented on the attacks, but its Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that Hezbollah “will pay an increasing price” as Israel seeks to secure its northern border.

Following the attacks, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Hossein Salami sent a message to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, threatening a devastating response from the “axis of resistance,” which encompasses Iran-aligned groups in the Middle East, including Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis, and Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces.

Nasrallah, in his first public address since the attacks, called the blasts a “declaration of war” and vowed retaliation, stating that Israel would face “just punishment.” He acknowledged a “major and unprecedented” blow to Hezbollah but maintained a defiant stance.

The escalating tensions follow a string of recent incidents, including Iran’s first direct attack on Israel in April, a deadly Israeli strike on its embassy in Syria, and the killings of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in July. These events raised fears of a wider regional conflict, though a full-scale war has not yet erupted.

The exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah has forced thousands of people on both sides of the border to flee their homes. Israel has launched strikes on Hezbollah “infrastructure sites” and a weapons storage facility in southern Lebanon, while Lebanon’s National News Agency reported Israeli shelling on several towns.

Further escalating the situation, Yemen’s Houthis launched a hypersonic missile attack targeting central Israel on Sunday, triggering air raid sirens and causing fires in the area around Ben Gurion Airport. The Houthis have been actively attacking ships linked to Israel in recent months, claiming solidarity with Palestinians and condemning Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.