The United States warned Iran on Tuesday that it would face “severe consequences” if it launched a direct military attack on Israel in response to attacks on the Tehran-backed militant group Hezbollah. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin further supported Israel’s ‘right to self-defence’.

Speaking to Israeli Defense Minister Yves Gallant, the Pentagon chief offered support for “dismantling offensive structures” along the border with Lebanon, Israel’s “targeted ground attacks” on Hezbollah. After

Austin reaffirmed the White House’s joint position that a “diplomatic resolution is needed” to ensure the safety of citizens on both sides of the border. “I reiterated the dire consequences for Iran if Iran chooses to launch a direct military strike against Israel,” he said in a statement posted on social network X after speaking with Gallant.

“We agreed on the need to eliminate attack infrastructure along the border to ensure that Lebanese Hezbollah cannot carry out October 7-style attacks on Israel’s northern communities,” Austin added. “

“The United States is committed to defending American personnel, partners and allies in the face of threats from Iran and Iran-backed terrorist organizations and to preventing any actor from taking advantage of tensions or escalating the conflict,” he added. is committed to.”

‘The war is not over’: Israel

Despite international calls for de-escalation, Israel vowed to continue the war against Hezbollah. Gallant had previously warned that Israel’s military operation in Lebanon was ‘not over’ even after an Israeli strike killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday, dealing a devastating blow to the militant group. .

In his first televised speech since Nasrallah’s death, Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Qassem vowed to continue his fight against Israel, signaling that the war was far from over. The group said in a statement that they “targeted” Israeli soldiers in gardens near the Lebanese border.

Israel launched ‘ground attacks’

The Israeli army said on Tuesday that its troops had launched “targeted ground raids” in villages in southern Lebanon. A military statement said the offensive, backed by airstrikes and artillery, had begun “a few hours ago” and that the militant group was targeting Hezbollah in villages near the border with Israel.

“The IDF launched limited, localized and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon,” Israel’s military said in a statement.

The Jerusalem Post reported that the IDF would “follow a procedural plan drawn up by the General Staff and the Northern Command, which soldiers have trained and developed in recent months”.

Israel ‘Finished’ Nasrallah

Recent tensions between the two countries have come to a head after the Israeli military ‘killed’ Iran-backed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon, on Friday night.

Israel has also carried out at least six strikes on south Beirut after the Israeli army ordered residents of the Hezbollah stronghold to evacuate, a Lebanese security official said.

Lebanon’s Ministry of Health has said that 95 people were killed and 172 injured in fresh Israeli attacks across the country on Monday. The government added that 1 million people – a fifth of the population – have fled their homes.