A senior Iranian commander has warned that the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has given the green light for Tehran-backed proxies in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip "to level" two of Israel's three largest cities.
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Gen. Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, commander of Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, told Al-Manar TV that the terrorist groups would destroy Haifa and Tel Aviv if "any foolishness is committed against Iran," warning that the Islamic republic has been working for years on developing the capabilities of its proxies in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
"All the missile capabilities of Gaza and Lebanon have been supported by Iran, and they are the front line for confrontation," he added.
Noting that "the capabilities of the resistance axis" are much advanced from what they were 10 years ago Hajizadeh said, "today, the Palestinians fire rockets instead of throwing stones."
Hezbollah and Iran have threatened both Haifa and Tel Aviv in the past. Israeli military intelligence believes Hezbollah has as many as 150,000 missiles secreted around various silos and launching sites throughout mostly southern Lebanon and can target any area of Israel.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Sunday that Tehran did not ask its proxies to avenge the US killing of top Gen. Qassem Soleimani as it can retaliate "independently."
"I want you to know – Iran is strong and does not need neither its friends nor its allies; it will respond in a time, place and manner that suits it," he added.
Iran "will not demand anything from them [proxies]. When it decides to respond militarily ... it will do so, in a way that befits the manner of the assassination," Nasrallah said.
Iran has issued a stream of threats against both the United States and Israel in the run-up to the Soleimani anniversary and the region is seemingly even tenser than would ordinarily be the case.
Arab media reports Sunday that the United Arab Emirates recently thwarted an Iranian terrorist attack that was to slated to take place in Dubai on Jan. 3 – the first anniversary of Soleimani's killing.
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According to local media reports, the terrorist plot sought to target an Israeli tourist destination and business districts. UAE intelligence agencies have reportedly arrested an Iranian squad in Dubai and Abu Dhabi on suspicion of plotting the attacks.
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
