Israel braces for possible Iranian retaliation after Beirut strike

Iranian officials threatened retaliation on Sunday after Israel carried out a focused strike in Beirut’s Dahieh district against a Hezbollah target. A senior Iranian military official, quoted by Al Jazeera, said the attack “will not remain unanswered.”

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament and one of the country’s top figures, warned that the strike could halt negotiations with the United States. In a post on X, he said Israeli “border violation” showed either that Washington does not want, or cannot, fulfill its commitments, adding that “the game of bad cop and good cop has already become outdated” and that “it is impossible to continue” if the U.S. cannot implement its obligations.

Parliament member Ebrahim Rezaei also said any agreement or understanding with the U.S. would have to come through what he called “punishment” of Israel, and he cautioned against miscalculation after the Israeli strike. Rezaei had issued a similar threat last week, and that warning became reality within hours. Israeli officials said they are prepared for every scenario.

The strike took place early Sunday afternoon after Hezbollah fired at northern Israeli communities. Israel said the operation targeted Hezbollah terror infrastructure in response to that fire, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz later said Israel “will not tolerate fire on its territory.” Security forces are now on high alert, worried Iran could again try to respond with missile fire, as it did after a previous Dahieh strike last Sunday, which led Israel to strike inside Iran. The coming days, or even hours, will show whether Tehran acts again.