DUBAI, United Arab Emirates
Israel launched a fresh wave of strikes on southern Lebanon early Sunday, targeting commanders of the Lebanese branch of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that “many surprises” lie ahead in the expanding conflict.
The Israeli military said in a statement that it “will not allow Iranian terrorist elements to establish themselves in Lebanese territory,” signaling a hardening stance against Tehran’s influence along Israel’s northern border.
The renewed ground and air assault came just hours after a dramatic Israeli strike on an oil storage facility in Tehran.
Press video captured pillars of fire lighting up the night sky above the Iranian capital in what appeared to be the first time a civilian industrial facility has been struck since the war began.
State-run media in Iran blamed “an attack from the U.S. and the Zionist regime” for the explosion at the facility, which supplies fuel to Tehran and several northern provinces. There was no immediate comment from U.S. officials regarding the strike.
The dual strikes—escalating operations against both Iranian personnel in Lebanon and critical infrastructure inside Iran itself—mark a significant broadening of the conflict’s scope.
Netanyahu’s pledge of “surprises” in the days ahead has fueled speculation that Israel is preparing to open new fronts or deploy previously undisclosed military capabilities.
The Quds Force, the overseas arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, has long maintained a significant presence in Lebanon, where it provides military and financial support to the militant group Hezbollah. Targeting its commanders directly represents a major escalation in Israel’s campaign to roll back Iranian influence in the region.
There was no immediate casualty report from either the Lebanon strikes or the Tehran attack.
By James Kisoo
