Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Wednesday that Lebanon would "pay the full price" for Iran's entrenchment in any future war, the latest in a series of Israeli warnings about Tehran's growing presence in neighboring Lebanon and Syria.
He said the Hezbollah, Iran's proxy in Lebanon, has sacrificed the country's national interests by subjugating it to Iran. As a result, all of Lebanon would be fair game in a future war.
Speaking at the Institute for National Security Studies' annual conference, Lieberman said the Lebanese army was "no different from Hezbollah" and it will be targeted, and "if Israelis in Tel Aviv are forced to sit in shelters, all of Beirut will sit in shelters, too."
Israel has repeatedly warned of Iran's increasing efforts to turn Lebanon into "one giant missile site," and stressed that the IDF was "prepared for any scenario."
The defense minister touched on the Israeli homefront's resilience, saying, "The enemy tries to minimize its clashes with the IDF and maximized [fire] on civilians. Protecting the civilian homefront is the biggest challenge and we will do everything to achieve that."
Lieberman's remarks drew sharp condemnation from Hezbollah and from Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who described them as a "blatant provocation that Lebanon rejects."
The Iranian-backed Hezbollah wields enormous political and military influence in Lebanon. Its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has said the group does not seek to provoke a war with Israel but would "respond with crushing force" should Israel attack Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the United States on Wednesday pledged continued support for Lebanon's military, calling it a potential counterweight to Hezbollah, even as Israel said the two forces were indistinguishable.
The Lebanese Armed Forces took no part in the 2006 Second Lebanon War. It has received more than $1.5 billion in U.S. military assistance since then and, in the last seven years, training and support from U.S. special forces as well.
With Hezbollah having helped sway the Syrian civil war in President Bashar Assad's favor, Israel and the United States worry that the Shiite terrorist group could now broaden its clout in Lebanon.
"We will sustain our efforts to support legitimate state security institutions in Lebanon, such as the Lebanese Armed Forces, which is the only legitimate force in Lebanon," David Satterfield, acting assistant U.S. secretary of state, told conference goers.
Satterfield added that the Lebanese army "could well serve as a counterweight to Hezbollah's desire to expand its own influence there, as well as Iran's reach in Lebanon."
Israeli intelligence officials have said in the past that they believed the Lebanese army maintained autonomy even if some of its personnel cooperated with Hezbollah.
Nathan Sales, the State Department's coordinator for counterterrorism, said Wednesday that the U.S. was "very concerned about Hezbollah developing an indigenous weapons manufacturing capability or alteration capability inside Lebanon.
He declined to comment on how far advanced such missile projects might be but said the United States was trying to hinder them and other Hezbollah capabilities by using sanctions to dent the $700 million that Iran gives the militia annually.
Israel has also been lobbying Russia, which has some sway over Iran and Hezbollah because of their alliance in Syria. Israeli officials said they hosted a senior Russian security delegation on Wednesday, with the missile issue on the agenda.
