Tel Aviv (Web Desk): Israel's military said it had begun ground operations in southwest Lebanon, expanding its incursions to a new zone, a year after exchanges of fire began with armed group Hezbollah and after pleas by the United Nations (UN) for a diplomatic solution.
The regional tensions triggered a year ago by Palestinian armed group Hamas's attack on southern Israel have spiralled to a string of Israeli operations by land and air over Lebanon and direct attacks by Iran onto Israeli military installations.
On Tuesday Iran warned Israel against any attacks on the Islamic Republic, a week after Tehran fired a barrage of missiles on it.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi warned Israel that any attack on Iran's infrastructure will be met with retaliation.
According to Iran's ISNA news agency, FM Araqchi will visit Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East starting on Tuesday to discuss regional issues and work on stopping Israel's "crimes" in Gaza and Lebanon.
The Israeli military increased the pressure on Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran in Lebanon, by declaring that it was carrying out “limited, localized, targeted operations” in the southwest of the country after previously announcing such operations for the southeast border region.
An Israeli military strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut overnight claimed the life of a top Hezbollah official in charge of the organization's finances and logistics.
On September 28, in the biggest blow to Hezbollah in decades, Israel assassinated its leader Hassan Nasrallah with an airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs.