TEHRAN – Images circulating online on Tuesday of Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mostafa Amani, have reignited discussions about Iran's expected attack against Israel. The photographs show Amani in conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, revealing a visible injury to one of his eyes and a hand.

In September, Amani was one of nearly 3,000 people injured in Lebanon when thousands of pager communication devices exploded across the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week admitted he had “okayed” the pager attacks that also claimed the lives of nearly 40 people, some women and children.

The extent of Amani's injuries remains unclear, but the pager explosions have left many with loss of sight and amputations. The photographs released on Tuesday suggest the Iranian envoy may have suffered the same devastating injuries, potentially including the loss of sight in one eye and several fingers on one hand.

When speaking to Iran’s foreign minister after nearly two months of treatment in Tehran, Amani said he was returning to his diplomatic mission to Beirut with hopes and aspirations, said a third Iranian diplomat who also managed to sit down with the injured official on Tuesday.

“Today, I had the chance to meet Dr. Amani. [He expressed his belief] that the Resistance is currently in a strong position, both militarily, politically, and socially,” Allah Karam Moshtaghi wrote on X. “The recent developments in Lebanon, the Axis of the Resistance, and the regional and international landscape are all beneficial to the Resistance. Hezbollah will emerge from this period even stronger than they did after the 33-day war.”

Calls for retaliation intensify

The smile on Amani's face during his meeting with Araghchi, coupled with his evident courage in returning to the country where he was severely injured, filled many with pride and hope. However, the revelation of his injuries for the first time has also fueled calls for retaliation against Israel.

“We are proud of the steadfastness and camaraderie demonstrated by different fronts of the Resistance, even in the face of such injuries. While we commend this resilience, we also hope that the day will come when there is a reciprocal response beyond simply damaging the enemy's weapons. We long for the day when justice is fully served,” said an Iranian citizen on X. Hundreds reacted to his post, asking that Iranian authorities inflict a “decisive” blow to the Israeli regime.

An Iranian attack against Israel is already looming. Following the pager attacks, Israel targeted a building complex housing Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyad Hassan Nasrallah and Brigadier General Abbas Nilforooshan, a high-ranking commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC). In October, Iran responded by attacking Israeli positions in the occupied territories, citing the martyrdom of the two figures, along with Hamas Political Leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated by Israel on Iranian soil in July. Israel responded 25 days later on October 26th with airstrikes that failed to reach their objectives but killed 4 Iranian soldiers in the air defense forces. This looming Iranian attack is going to be a direct response to Israel's targeting of Iranian soil.

The anticipated attack, dubbed "Operation True Promise III" and a continuation of Iran's previous two strikes against Israel this year, is expected to be more severe and destructive than its predecessors. Despite the support Israel received from regional and international partners in intercepting Iranian missiles and drones during the earlier attacks, Iran managed to inflict significant damage on Israeli military bases in the occupied territories. This suggests that the upcoming operation could pose a far greater threat to Israeli interests, as confirmed by multiple military officials so far.

“I know authorities have said the response will be severe, but seeing our envoy's injuries for the first time, I won't be satisfied with simply targeting military bases. I want the regime's politicians to bear the visible consequences of our retaliation on their faces,” shared a female Iranian citizen under a picture of Amani on Instagram. The post was deleted by Meta hours later.