Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah reiterated threats that Iran would respond to the alleged Israeli airstrike that targeted the Iranian consulate in Damascus last week, saying, "The Americans and Israelis recognize that the Iranian response to the attack on the Iranian consulate is coming."
Nasrallah noted that the airstrike was the "highest-profile Israeli attack in Syria in years," warning that Israel had "miscalculated" in deciding to carry out the strike.
The Hezbollah leader noted that there were "two new things" in the alleged Israeli strike on the consulate: the first being that it targeted "Iranian territory" as it hit a diplomatic mission and the second being that it targeted a high-level official, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi, who Nasrallah referred to as "the chief Iranian advisor in Lebanon and Syria."
Nasrallah insisted that the IRGC commanders killed in the Israeli strike were only "advisors" meant to provide guidance and logistical support and weren't military forces.
The Hezbollah leader said that Zahedi was focused on helping Gaza immediately after October 7, adding that Zahedi wanted to be near the front and wanted to "die as a martyr." Nasrallah added that Zahedi had been in Lebanon since 2020.
Nasrallah's comments concerning Zahedi's support for terrorist groups in Gaza reflected comments made by the Coordination Council of Islamic Revolution Forces, a conservative umbrella group in Iran, last week which noted that Zahedi was involved in "designing and implementing" the October 7th massacre. The comments by the council contradicted claims by Iranian leaders that Iran was not directly involved in the massacre.
Zahedi and six other IRGC officials were killed in an airstrike blamed on Israel in Damascus last Monday. In the week since, Iranian leaders have issued repeated threats to respond to the airstrike.
US media has reported that US and Israeli intelligence believe that Iran could target Israel directly with cruise missiles and kamikaze drones. The reports indicated that the response could come by the end of the month of Ramadan, which is expected to end on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on the sighting of the moon.
Nasrallah: Israel 'humiliated' after withdrawal from Khan Yunis
Nasrallah additionally referred to the recent withdrawal of Israeli forces from Khan Yunis, claiming that they withdrew "humiliated under fire."
The Hezbollah leader added that "[US President Joe] Biden's recent call with [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is evidence that the American can impose on Israel what he wants," in reference to a call made shortly before Israel agreed to enhance the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Nasrallah also referenced ongoing negotiations between Israel and Hamas aimed at reaching a ceasefire and hostage release deal, saying that the withdrawal from Khan Yunis may show that Israel "acquiesced and left Gaza before the demand in the negotiations becomes binding."
The Hezbollah leader also spoke about an incident in which Hezbollah shot down an Israeli drone, stating that "The enemy considered that shooting down the aircraft crossed the red lines, and we say to him: Who said that we do not cross the red lines?"
"The importance of the operation is that we shot down a Hermes aircraft on the front lines, and this shows the resistance’s capabilities at the level of air defense," added Nasrallah.
Iranian FM: US must bear responsibility for Damascus strike
During a visit to Damascus on Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian claimed that the US gave Israel the "green light" to conduct the strike on the Iranian consulate, warning that the US "must bear responsibility." The foreign minister added that the strike was carried out using "American aircraft and missiles."