20 Jun 2025 09:22 AM Israeli Warning to Hezbollah: Our Patience Is Over!
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz pointed out that "Hezbollah must be cautious and understand that Israel's patience has run out with those who threaten it."
He added, "Naim Qassem has not learned a lesson from his predecessors and threatens to act against Israel according to Iran's orders."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
MTV Lebanon
an hour ago
- MTV Lebanon
UN's Guterres Urges 'Give Peace a Chance' Amid Israel–Iran Tensions
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Friday that expansion of the Israel-Iran conflict could "ignite a fire no one can control" and called on both sides and potential parties to the conflict to "give peace a chance." Representatives from Israel and Iran later traded angry accusations at the same UN Security Council meeting, with Israel vowing not to stop its attacks. The head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency, meanwhile, warned that attacks on nuclear facilities could result in "radioactive releases with great consequences within and beyond boundaries" of the state attacked and called for maximum restraint. Guterres said there were "moments when the directions taken will shape not just the fate of nations, but potentially our collective future". "This is such a moment," he said. He said the conflict must not be allowed to expand. "To the parties to the conflict, the potential parties to the conflict, and to the Security Council as the representative of the international community, I have a simple and clear message: give peace a chance," Guterres said. The Security Council session took place as European foreign ministers met their Iranian counterpart on Friday hoping to test Tehran's readiness to negotiate a new nuclear deal despite there being scant prospect of Israel ceasing its attacks soon. Israel has repeatedly bombed nuclear targets in Iran, which it sees as components of a weapons program, and Iran has fired missiles and drones at Israel as a week-old air war escalated with no sign yet of an exit strategy from either side. The White House said on Thursday U.S. President Donald Trump would make a decision within the next two weeks whether to get involved on Israel's side. Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes. It said on Friday it would not discuss the future of the program while under attack by Israel, which is widely assumed to possess nuclear weapons. Israel neither confirms nor denies this. Iran's UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said Iran would continue to defend itself from Israeli attacks, while his Israeli counterpart Danny Danon vowed: "We will not stop. Not until Iran's nuclear threat is dismantled, not until its war machine is disarmed, not until our people and yours are safe." Iravani said Iran was "alarmed by credible reports that the United States... may be joining this war," and accused Israel of hitting five hospitals in its attacks, a charge for which Danon demanded he provide evidence. Danon said Israel sought genuine efforts to dismantle Iran's nuclear capabilities from Friday's meeting between European and Iranian ministers, not just another round of talks. "We have seen diplomatic talks for the last few decades, and look at the results," he told reporters. "If it is going to be like another session and debates, that's not going to work." Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, outlined Israeli attacks on nuclear facilities at Natanz, Isfahan and Arak. He said the level of radioactivity outside Iran's Natanz site had remained unchanged and at normal levels, indicating no external radiological impact on the population or the environment there. However, he said that within the facility there was both radiological and chemical contamination. He said the IAEA was not aware of any damage at Iran's Fordow plant at this time. An attack on Iran's Bushehr plant would be most serious, he said: "It is an operating nuclear power plant and hosts thousands of kilograms of nuclear material." "I want to make it absolutely and completely clear: In the case of an attack on the Bushehr nuclear power plant, a direct hit would result in a very high release of radioactivity to the environment," Grossi said. "Similarly, a hit that disabled the only two lines supplying electrical power to the plant could cause its reactor's core to melt." He said any action against the Tehran nuclear research reactor will also have severe consequences, "potentially for large areas of the city of Tehran and its inhabitants." The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Dorothy Camille Shea, said the United States "continues to stand with Israel and supports its actions against Iran's nuclear ambitions." "We can no longer ignore that Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon," she said. China and Russia demanded immediate de-escalation. Russia's UN ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, said Israel's actions risked pulling third countries into the conflict and internationalization of the conflict must be avoided. He said targeting of what he called Iran's peaceful civilian nuclear facilities was "liable to plunge us into a hither to unseen nuclear catastrophe." Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes. Israel is widely assumed to possess nuclear weapons. It neither confirms nor denies this.
LBCI
5 hours ago
- LBCI
Middle East on edge: Hezbollah holds fire for now as Iran warns it is not alone
Report by Ghida Fayad, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi Tensions in the Middle East are escalating rapidly, with the region inching closer to a broader conflict amid the deepening confrontation between Iran and Israel. As threats of American intervention loom, concerns are mounting that Tehran's allies could soon join the battlefield. Secretary of Iran's Expediency Discernment Council, Mohsen Rezaee, underscored in a statement that Iran has so far used only a fraction of its capabilities. He said, "We've used just 30% of our power. We haven't activated our land or naval forces, our oil leverage, the Strait of Hormuz, or our friends in the countries surrounding the occupied territories—though they've expressed willingness to help." That willingness has started to manifest in clear warnings from Iran-aligned groups across the region. Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah faction has threatened to target American bases and interests in the event of U.S. involvement, vowing also to shut down the vital Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab straits. In Yemen, the Houthis—who previously fired missiles toward Israel in support of Iran—reportedly told Reuters they would strike American interests if Washington entered the fray. In Lebanon, Hezbollah has not declared a definitive stance on entering the war. Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem stated that the group is "not neutral" and will act as it deems necessary. However, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri adopted a more decisive tone, insisting Lebanon will not participate in the war "200%," saying the country has no interest in joining the conflict and that Iran does not need its support. He emphasized that the real threat stems from Israel, which he accused of seeking to expand the scope of the battle. According to sources close to Berri, Qassem's comments were seen as a politically symbolic gesture of solidarity rather than a military commitment. For its part, Israel continues to issue stern warnings. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz criticized Hezbollah's Naim Qassem, accusing him of failing to learn from the past and threatening severe retaliation. "Israel's patience has run out with those who threaten us," Katz declared.
Ya Libnan
5 hours ago
- Ya Libnan
Israelis to be ready for a ‘prolonged campaign' in Iran, military chiefs warn
Israel's military chief on Friday said Israelis 'must be ready for a prolonged campaign' in Iran as the deadly conflict between the two countries entered its second week. As Iran's foreign minister met with European counterparts, he said Iran would not resume nuclear negotiations with the US until Israel stopped its attacks on the Islamic Republic. Iran said Friday it would not resume nuclear negotiations with the United States until Israel halts its attacks, as Israel 's military chief warned the week-old war will be 'prolonged'. A series of blasts were heard in Tehran on Friday as Iran's Fars news agency said air defences had been activated, as Israel kept up its bombardment and Iran launched missiles at its arch enemy. 'We must be ready for a prolonged campaign,' Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir told Israelis in a video statement, eight days after his country launched a massive wave of strikes it said were aimed at stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons – an ambition Tehran has denied. 'The campaign is not over. Although we have made significant achievements, difficult days still lie ahead,' he said. MIDDLE EAST Israel's military chief on Friday said Israelis 'must be ready for a prolonged campaign' in Iran as the deadly conflict between the two countries entered its second week. As Iran's foreign minister met with European counterparts, he said Iran would not resume nuclear negotiations with the US until Israel stopped its attacks on the Islamic Republic. Issued on: 20/06/2025 – 11:25Modified: 20/06/2025 – 21:14 5 min Reading time By: FRANCE 24 / FRANCE 24 Iran said Friday it would not resume nuclear negotiations with the United States until Israel halts its attacks, as Israel 's military chief warned the week-old war will be 'prolonged'. A series of blasts were heard in Tehran on Friday as Iran's Fars news agency said air defences had been activated, as Israel kept up its bombardment and Iran launched missiles at its arch enemy. 'We must be ready for a prolonged campaign,' Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir told Israelis in a video statement, eight days after his country launched a massive wave of strikes it said were aimed at stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons – an ambition Tehran has denied. 'The campaign is not over. Although we have made significant achievements, difficult days still lie ahead,' he said. Israeli forces cordon off an area in the coastal city of Haifa after Iranian missile fire. © Fadel Senna, AFP As US President Donald Trump mulls the prospect of entering the war As US President Donald Trump mulls the prospect of entering the war between the two foes, top diplomats from Britain, France and Germany met with their Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in Geneva. Referring to nuclear negotiations with Washington that had been derailed by the war, Araghchi said after the meeting that 'Iran is ready to consider diplomacy once again and once the aggression is stopped'. Tehran did 'support the continuation of discussion with' the European countries and was willing 'to meet again in the near future', Araghchi told reporters. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said 'we invited the Iranian minister to consider negotiations with all sides, including the United States, without awaiting the cessation of strikes, which we also hope for'. Barrot said there 'can be no definitive solution through military means to the Iran nuclear problem' and warned that it was 'dangerous to want to impose a regime change' in Iran, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not rule out killing supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei On the streets of Tehran, many shops were closed and normally busting markets largely abandoned on Friday, an AFP journalist reported. 'I'm not afraid of the war, I stay open but business is really bad,' said a vendor at the Tajrish market who declined to give his name for security reasons. Nearby, police set up a checkpoint while workers repaired a road damaged in a recent Israeli strike. Since Israel launched its offensive on June 13, targeting nuclear and military sites but also hitting residential areas, Iran has responded with barrages which Israeli authorities say have killed at least 25 people. A hospital in the Israeli port of Haifa reported 19 injured, including one person in serious condition, after the latest Iranian salvo. Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It has not updated the toll since. A US-based NGO, the Human Rights Activists News Agency, provided a toll on Friday based on sources and media reports, saying at least 657 people have been killed in Iran, including 263 civilians. Israel's military said it struck missile launchers in southwestern Iran after overnight air raids on dozens of targets including a nuclear research centre In Israel, sirens sounded in the afternoon after missiles were launched from Iran for the second time on Friday. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted military sites and air force bases. Trump said on Thursday he will decide 'within the next two weeks' whether to involve the United States in the fighting. A US Navy official said Friday that an aircraft carrier will be moved closer to the Middle East next week, making it the third in or near the region. 'This is a perilous moment, and it is hugely important that we don't see regional escalation of this conflict,' said Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who earlier stated 'Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon'. Western governments suspect Iran of seeking a nuclear weapons capability. 'So, saying how long it would take for them, it would be pure speculation because we do not know whether there was somebody … secretly pursuing these activities,' the agency's chief Rafael Grossi told CNN. 'We haven't seen that and we have to say it.' In an interview with German publication Bild, Israel's top diplomat Gideon Saar said he did not 'particularly' believe in diplomacy with Iran. 'All diplomatic efforts so far have failed,' said Saar, whose country had supported Trump's 2018 decision to abandon a previous nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the escalating confrontation is quickly reaching 'the point of no return', saying 'this madness must end as soon as possible'. Iranians rally in support of their leaders, in Tehran. © AFP UN chief Antonio Guterres meanwhile pleaded with all sides to 'give peace a chance'. Any US involvement in Israel's campaign would be expected to involve the bombing of an underground uranium enrichment facility in Fordo, using powerful bunker-busting bombs that no other country possesses. Switzerland announced it was temporarily closing its embassy in Tehran, adding that it would continue to fulfil its role representing US interests in Iran. (FRANCE 24 with AFP) .
