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Iran has threatened to retaliate against the United States (US) and Israel following new strikes in Beirut on Sunday, further raising tensions as the Middle East war entered its 100th day.
The warning comes as efforts to convert a ceasefire into a lasting peace deal continue to fail, with the conflict also increasing pressure on US President Donald Trump ahead of upcoming midterm elections.
Tehran has insisted that any long-term agreement must also address the parallel conflict in Lebanon, where Israel is carrying out military operations against Hezbollah, a group backed by Iran. Iran had earlier warned that any new strikes on Beirut will trigger a “full-scale resumption” of hostilities.
Also on Sunday, the Israeli Prime Minister’s office said the military had “just struck a militant command centre in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district, in response to Hezbollah’s fire towards Israeli territory.” While cross-border clashes between Israel and Hezbollah are frequent, strikes inside Beirut’s southern districts have been rare, with only two reported since mid-April.
Previously, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator in talks with Washington, accused the United States of giving a “green light” for the Beirut strike. He warned that continued attacks and the US blockade on Iranian ports could turn American and Israeli assets in the region into “legitimate targets.”
“Our armed forces, as always, are free to act,” he said.
The threats of escalation come as citizens in Iran express growing economic hardship and uncertainty, with rising prices worsening daily life.
Meanwhile, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it destroyed two Iranian drones that threatened maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran later launched missiles at US allies Bahrain and Kuwait.
