Iran FM: Opening of Lebanese-Israeli Front in Hezbollah’s Hands

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during a press conference in Beirut. (AFP)
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during a press conference in Beirut. (AFP)
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Iran FM: Opening of Lebanese-Israeli Front in Hezbollah’s Hands

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during a press conference in Beirut. (AFP)
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during a press conference in Beirut. (AFP)

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that the opening of the Lebanese-Israeli front, in the event of continued Israeli aggression, was in the hands of Hezbollah.

Despite his assertion that Lebanon’s security is “important to everyone and to Iran,” the Iranian official warned that “it was possible to imagine the opening of a new front in a way that suits the circumstances.”

Speaking on Saturday during a press conference at the Iranian Embassy in Beirut, Abdollahian said: “During my meetings with some of the leaders of the resistance in Beirut, I found that the resistance is in a very excellent situation and is fully prepared to respond to the criminal actions of the Zionist entity.”

He added: “The resistance has the energy and high capabilities to respond to the war crimes of the Zionist entity and the continued siege of Gaza.”

According to the FM, a political opportunity is available to prevent the war from expanding, but he warned: “Perhaps, in the coming hours, it will be too late.”

In light of the high number of casualties in Gaza, Abdollahian announced that his country “proposed holding an urgent meeting of the foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation,” stressing that Lebanon’s “security is important for everyone and for Iran.”

Iran’s top diplomat spoke about an agreement between his country and Saudi Arabia over the war on Gaza.

“A few days ago, a telephone call was held for the first time between Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. These discussions took place in light of the new atmosphere of good relations between Tehran and Riyadh,” Abdollahian told reporters in Beirut.

He stressed that the two sides “agree to support Palestine and condemn the war crimes committed by the Zionist entity,” adding: “The majority of leaders of the countries of the region and Arab states currently agree that Al-Aqsa Storm operations came as a spontaneous response to some of the crimes and extremism committed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”

Experts, who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat, noted that Abdollahian’s strong rhetoric contradicted the facts on the ground.

Dr. Riad Kahwaji, CEO of the Near East and Gulf Foundation for Military Analysis (INEGMA), said the situation in South Lebanon is limited to clashes and operations, stressing that both parties did not want a major escalation on the front.

He noted that Hezbollah sought to “keep Israel on alert over the possibility of opening the northern front, which has made it mobilize half of its army in the north instead of deploying it on the front with Gaza.”



Bodies of Eight Red Crescent Medics Recovered in Gaza, One Still Missing

Members of the Palestine Red Crescent and other emergency services carry bodies of fellow rescuers killed a week earlier by Israeli forces, during a funeral procession at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on March 31, 2025. (AFP)
Members of the Palestine Red Crescent and other emergency services carry bodies of fellow rescuers killed a week earlier by Israeli forces, during a funeral procession at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on March 31, 2025. (AFP)
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Bodies of Eight Red Crescent Medics Recovered in Gaza, One Still Missing

Members of the Palestine Red Crescent and other emergency services carry bodies of fellow rescuers killed a week earlier by Israeli forces, during a funeral procession at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on March 31, 2025. (AFP)
Members of the Palestine Red Crescent and other emergency services carry bodies of fellow rescuers killed a week earlier by Israeli forces, during a funeral procession at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on March 31, 2025. (AFP)

The bodies of eight Palestine Red Crescent medics who came under fire in Gaza just over a week ago have been recovered, though a ninth worker is still unaccounted for, the Red Cross said.

In a statement late on Sunday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said it was "appalled" at the deaths.

"Their bodies were identified today and have been recovered for dignified burial. These staff and volunteers were risking their own lives to provide support to others," it said.

The Palestine Red Crescent said it also recovered the bodies of six civil defense members and one UN employee from the same area. It said Israeli forces had targeted the workers. Red Cross statements did not apportion blame for the attacks.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said one worker from the nine-strong Red Crescent group was still unaccounted for. The group went missing on March 23.

The Israeli military said on Monday that an inquiry had found that on March 23, troops opened fire on a group of vehicles that included ambulances and fire trucks when the vehicles approached a position without prior coordination and without headlights or emergency signals.

It said several fighters belonging to the Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups were killed.

"The Israeli army condemns the repeated use of civilian infrastructure by the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, including the use of medical facilities and ambulances for terrorist purposes," it said in a statement.

It did not comment directly on the deaths of the Red Cross workers.

The incident was the single most deadly attack on Red Cross Red Crescent workers anywhere since 2017, the IFRC said.

"I am heartbroken. These dedicated ambulance workers were responding to wounded people. They were humanitarians," said IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain.

"They wore emblems that should have protected them; their ambulances were clearly marked," he added.

According to the United Nations, at least 1,060 healthcare workers have been killed in the 18 months since Israel launched its offensive in Gaza after Hamas fighters stormed southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

The global body is reducing its international staff in Gaza by a third due to staff safety concerns.