Secretary General of the Iranian-proxy Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah vowed to annihilate all Israeli troops that enter Lebanon during the course of any future conflict.
In a televised address to his followers in Beirut, Nasrallah claimed that his militiamen would make an example of Israel’s armed forces, should Jerusalem decide to invade. In his words: “Israel wants a war? Let it go to war. The Israeli units and brigades that dare to enter southern Lebanon will be annihilated and destroyed on live television before the whole world.”
The Shi’ite Lebanese leader insisted that Israel has lost its qualitative military edge. He claimed that while Lebanon’s southern neighbor had a clear aerial advantage, the era in which the air force decides the outcome of battle has come to an end. “The Israelis say the home front is not ready. Any theoretical Israeli war needs a ground operation to achieve its desired goal. The era in which the air force decides the battle is over,” Nasrallah said.
The rhetoric voiced by the Lebanese leader comes amid growing concerns over a possible summer conflict with Israel. Jerusalem has also voiced concerns of its own over the growing influence of its arch-rival – the Islamic Republic of Iran – along Israel’s northern frontier. That said, Israeli officials refused to respond to TV7’s request for comment regarding the threats voiced by the Hezbollah leader.