Israel Braces for Possible Iranian Fire After Beirut Strike

Israeli security officials said Sunday afternoon that they are preparing for the possibility of Iranian missile fire toward Israel in the coming hours, after threats from Tehran following an Israeli Air Force strike in Beirut’s Dahieh district. Air defenses are on full alert, but the Home Front Command instructions have not changed. The IDF said the public should stay alert, act responsibly, and follow Home Front Command guidance.

In a statement, the IDF said Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir was holding ongoing situation assessments with relevant commanders and that the army was ready for possible fire at Israel’s territory. “At this stage,” the IDF said, “there is no change in the Home Front Command instructions. If there are changes, the public will be updated accordingly. The IDF will not accept fire toward the territory of the State of Israel.”

Iranian officials responded sharply to the Dahieh strike. Khatam al-Anbiya, assistant commander of Iran’s central headquarters, said the “Israeli crimes in Dahieh will not remain without response.” Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said the “Zionist aggression” showed again that America lacks the will or ability to meet its commitments. Ibrahim Rezaei, spokesman for the parliamentary foreign and national security committee, warned that “even if you want an agreement or understanding, the way to it is restraining the Zionist regime,” adding that if this “mad dog” is not restrained, it will “bite us in the leg” before any deal dries.

The Israeli strike followed three UAVs launched from Lebanon that exploded in the Western Galilee earlier in the day, without casualties. The target was a Hezbollah command center used to direct terror plots, and initial Lebanese reports said one person was killed and four were wounded. The reported killed person was the head of Hezbollah’s communications unit. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the strike targeted Hezbollah terror sites in Dahieh in response to Hezbollah fire at Israel.

The IDF said the facility was used by Hezbollah operatives to advance terror plans against Israeli civilians and troops in southern Lebanon. It said Hezbollah had launched aerial targets at Israel earlier Sunday and vowed to keep acting against any threat. The latest Dahieh strike came exactly one week after the previous Israeli Air Force attack there, which had led to a day of fighting with Iran. After the ceasefire with Iran was restored, Netanyahu said Iran and Hezbollah had tried to impose “a new and intolerable equation,” while Katz said, “The Dahieh district of Beirut is the same as the northern communities. Any attack on the northern communities will lead to an attack on Dahieh.”