Iran’s Khamenei condemns Israeli actions in Lebanon, warns of regret

ISTANBUL

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a strong condemnation of Israel’s actions in Lebanon on Saturday, particularly decrying the "mass killing of women and children." He warned that Israel "will regret" its recent military operations in the country.

Khamenei’s remarks were broadcast by the Iranian state channel Al-Alam in response after Israel said its forces killed Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike on Friday. Hezbollah later on Saturday confirmed Nasrallah's "martyrdom."

“The killing of defenseless people in Lebanon once again proves the shortsightedness and foolishness of the Israeli regime's leaders,” Khamenei said, adding that Israel had failed to learn from its prolonged war on Gaza. He emphasized that the "mass killing of women, children, and civilians cannot break the strong foundations of the resistance movement."

Khamenei went on to assert that Hezbollah would play a decisive role in determining the future of the region. He recalled Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon and its eventual withdrawal in 2000, crediting Hezbollah for severing Israel’s path to Beirut.

He further cautioned that Lebanon today would make the "malicious and wicked aggressor regret its actions."

Since Monday, Israeli airstrikes have ravaged Lebanon, killing nearly 800 people and injuring over 2,300, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. The ministry also reported that since last October, the death toll in Lebanon has reached 1,622, with 98,800 people displaced from the southern and eastern regions of the country.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the onset of Israel’s military onslaught in Gaza following the Hamas-led cross-border attack on Oct. 7. The Gaza conflict has claimed the lives of nearly 41,600 people, most of whom are women and children.

The international community has expressed deep concern about Israel’s airstrikes in Lebanon, warning that they could transform the Gaza conflict into a broader regional war.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi in Ankara