Iran's supreme leader threatens Israel and the US

2024-11-02 15:31:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Iran's supreme leader threatened Israel and the United States on Saturday with what he called a "devastating response" to attacks on Iran and its allies. The threats come as the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon fired dozens of rockets at Israel. Meanwhile, on Friday US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the dispatch of several additional bombers and warships to the Middle East to strengthen the US presence in the region.

A rocket attack by the Hezbollah militant group in the Israeli city of Tira injured several people. Sirens warning of air strikes rang out across Israel on Saturday as dozens of rockets fired by the militant group were shot down by Israeli air defenses.

The Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah said it had fired missiles at two Israeli army bases, one in Glilot near Tel Aviv and the air base in Palmachim.

But the Israeli military has not confirmed any of the alleged attacks on military bases. Saturday's attacks, according to analysts, could be a warning of a more serious attack against Israel.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, threatened Israel and the United States that Teherahi would respond to Israel's October 26 airstrikes that hit the Islamic Republic's military bases.

"The enemies, whether the Zionist regime or the United States of America, will definitely receive a devastating response to what they are doing to Iran, the Iranian nation and the resistance front," Khamenei said.

Another attack by Iran, which has already carried out two direct attacks against Israel this year, could plunge the Middle East into a wider conflict, analysts say. Israel is already fighting the Iranian-backed militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday ordered the dispatch of several additional bombers and warships to the Middle East to bolster the US presence in the region, four US officials said. The developments come as Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon flares, as well as Israel's retaliatory attack on Iran a week ago that likely damaged a base that produces and launches ballistic missiles as part of the program space of Tehran.

Israel's war against Hezbollah has weakened the militant group but also caused heavy damage in southern Lebanon and other parts of the country.

Since the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, more than 2,800 people have been killed and over 13,000 injured in Lebanon, according to data from the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

United Nations agencies estimate that Israel's ground operations and bombings have forced the displacement of 1.4 million people.

Residents of Israel's northern communities near Lebanon, approximately 60,000 people, have also been displaced for more than a year.

On the other hand, Israel has stepped up its offensive against Hamas fighters in Gaza, raising concerns about the humanitarian conditions in which civilians are living there.

Israel's war in Gaza has killed more than 43,000 Palestinians since October 7, 2023, when a terrorist attack by Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in Israel and took about 250 hostages.

Health officials in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, do not distinguish between civilian victims and fighters, but say that more than half of those killed are women and children./ VOA