TEHRAN – Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has praised the Lebanese Hezbollah for its Sunday attack on Israeli targets, saying the retaliatory operation showed the resistance front’s resolve to combat threats posed by the enemy.

“Countering the American drone that violated the Islamic Republic’s airspace and the Lebanese Hezbollah’s punishment for the Zionist regime translate into the resistance front’s resolve to combat the threats and incendiary acts by the front of destabilizers in the region,” Supreme National Security Council secretary Shamkhani notes. 

In a statement released on Sunday evening, Shamkhani described the retaliatory action, which occurred at the beginning of the days of mourning for Imam Hussein (AS), as the embodiment of the highly-revered imam’s motto of “far from us is disgrace,” the IFP news reported.

The U.S. and the Zionist regime are making evil moves in the Persian Gulf region and the Levant, said Shamkhani.

“Countering the American drone that violated the Islamic Republic’s airspace and the Lebanese Hezbollah’s punishment for the Zionist regime translate into the resistance front’s resolve to combat the threats and incendiary acts by the front of destabilizers in the region,” he added.

The top security official further praised Hezbollah as a genuine, smart and highly popular movement. “Safeguarding the Lebanese people’s interests and conforming to what is in their interest is a pivotal policy of Hezbollah in making political and defensive decisions.”

Pressuring Israel is the only road to regional peace: Qalibaf

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, a member of the Expediency Council and former presidential candidate, also commented on the attack, saying pressuring Israel is the road toward peace in the region.

“Hezbollah’s yesterday response to the drone aggression showed how vulnerable Israel is compared to the past … and now is the time to put maximum pressure on it,” Qalibaf said in a tweet on Monday. “Pressuring Israel is the road toward serenity in the region.”

The comments came after Hezbollah said it had targeted an Israeli military vehicle near the border with the occupied Palestinian lands, killing and injuring all forces on board. 

According to Hezbollah, the operation was carried out on Sunday by two fighter groups, who targeted two Israeli vehicles. One of the vehicles escaped the Lebanese fighters’ fire, but the other one was totally destroyed leaving all those on board killed or injured, Press TV reported.

Hezbollah fighters “destroyed a military vehicle on the road to the Avivim barracks (in northern Israel), killing and wounding those inside,” the resistance group said in a statement, which was carried by Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen TV.

Following the attack on Sunday, Israeli military sources confirmed that a military vehicle has been targeted at the border with anti-tank missiles.

Israel’s military sources claimed that several anti-tank missiles were fired from Lebanon, scoring hits, with Israeli forces responding, Reuters reported.

“A number of anti-tank missiles were fired from Lebanon towards an (Israeli military) base and military vehicles,” an Israeli army statement said, adding, “A number of hits have been confirmed. (Israel’s military) is responding with fire towards the sources of fire and targets in southern Lebanon.”

MH/PA