BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 12. Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, has issued an ultimatum to the Lebanese government amid ongoing escalation in the Middle East, Trend reports, citing the Times of Israel.
Katz warned that if the Lebanese authorities fail to prevent attacks by Hezbollah, Israel will take control of the area and address the threat itself.
“Yesterday, Hezbollah carried out heavy rocket fire toward the State of Israel. In response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched powerful strikes against Hezbollah targets in Dahieh and various locations across Lebanon.
I warned the Lebanese president that if the Lebanese government cannot control its territory and prevent Hezbollah from threatening northern communities and firing at Israel, we will take that territory and do it ourselves,” Katz said during an assessment meeting with IDF officers.
Since no concrete agreement was reached in negotiations between the United States (US) and Iran over the nuclear program, the US and Israel began military airstrikes against Iran on February 28. In response, Iran launched missile and drone attacks on Israel and US military facilities located in countries across the region, starting the same day.
On the first day of the air strikes against Iran, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and several high-ranking military officials were killed. On March 8, Iran’s Assembly of Experts elected Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, as Iran’s third Supreme Leader by majority vote.
Between March 1 and March 5, the confrontation expanded further, affecting several countries across the Middle East.
According to reports, the US side suffered losses of 8 dead and more than 140 wounded.
As a result of the conflict, the region’s energy infrastructure and maritime transportation have also come under serious risk. Due to heightened security tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, global oil prices have surged sharply, and several countries have urged their citizens to leave the region.
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