Iran threatens direct confrontation with U.S. if Israel continues Lebanon offensive

Iran is prepared for "direct confrontation" with the United States if Israel's offensive in Lebanon persists, according to Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. He issued the warning on social media platform X, stating that U.S. bases in the region would become legitimate targets.

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The maritime blockade of the Iranian nation and the green light the U.S. gave today to the Zionist regime turn American bases in the region into legitimate targets.

Ghalibaf's statement followed the U.S. granting "green light" to Israel, which he interpreted as an escalation. "The maritime blockade of the Iranian nation and the green light the U.S. gave today to the Zionist regime turn American bases in the region into legitimate targets," he wrote. He added that Iran's armed forces are ready to act.

Earlier, Iranian envoy Ebrahim Rezai had promised a "firm and painful" response to Israeli attacks on the southern suburbs of Beirut. "We will respond firmly and painfully to the aggression of the Zionist regime near Beirut," Rezai posted on social media. Rezai is the spokesperson for the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.

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If the Israeli aggression against Lebanon continues, we will not simply stop the negotiation process, but we will engage in direct confrontation with the enemy.

Israel had bombed southern Beirut suburbs on Sunday, just days after a fragile ceasefire, brokered in Washington, took effect. The escalation puts talks to end the wider war into new jeopardy.

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We will respond firmly and painfully to the aggression of the Zionist regime near Beirut.