TEHRAN – Tehran has issued a stern warning against Israel's "dangerous adventurism" following a series of Israeli airstrikes on towns and villages in southern Lebanon.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, condemned Israel's military actions in southern Lebanon, calling the strikes on residential areas and the killing of hundreds of civilians "insane." 

He further criticized the United States and other Western nations for remaining silent in the face of these attacks or, worse, for offering support to Israel.

The Iranian government cautioned that these actions could have severe repercussions for West Asia.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported on Monday that the Israeli strikes, which began earlier that morning, have resulted in the deaths of 182 people and left 727 others wounded. The airstrikes represent the most lethal escalation of hostilities between Israel and the Hezbollah Resistance movement in nearly a year.

Kanaani also accused Israel of attempting to provoke a broader regional conflict, pointing to the regime's ongoing military operations in Gaza. He argued that Israel’s actions, both in Gaza and Lebanon, are part of a wider strategy that threatens regional and international peace.

"The continued appeasement of Israel's crimes against Palestinians has emboldened the regime to carry out these genocidal acts," Kanaani remarked. He called on the United Nations Security Council to take immediate action to halt Israel's aggression and prevent further bloodshed.

The latest Israeli strikes were reportedly in retaliation to Hezbollah's most extensive attack in months, which took place on Sunday. Hezbollah fighters launched a barrage of rockets at Israeli military targets, including the Ramat David Airbase, located southeast of Haifa, and a weapons manufacturing facility in the Zevulun region. These strikes triggered widespread alarm, with approximately 300,000 Israelis rushing to bomb shelters. 

The escalation followed Israel’s detonation of communication equipment in Lebanon and missile strikes that killed dozens of Lebanese citizens, including a high-ranking Hezbollah commander.

‘Al-Aqsa Storm reshaped regional landscape in favor of Palestinians’

Additionally, in an interview with Iranian media, Kanaani reflected on the broader geopolitical shifts in the region, linking them to the ongoing conflict. 

He highlighted the recent "Al-Aqsa Storm" operation, which he said had reshaped the strategic landscape in favor of the Palestinian people and Resistance groups. 

Speaking to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, the spokesperson explained that the operation had revived the Palestinian cause on both regional and international stages.

"Today, no one considers the Palestinian issue a forgotten cause or something that can be resolved through normalization with the Zionist regime," Kanaani said, stressing that the operation had recalibrated regional power dynamics.

Kanaani reiterated Iran's longstanding support for Palestine, a policy that has been central to the country’s foreign agenda since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. He also affirmed that while Iran advocates for diplomatic efforts to halt the violence in Gaza, it does not dictate the Palestinian response to Israeli aggression.

"The war imposed on the Palestinian people is cruel and unjust. The international community must work to halt the Zionist regime's war machine as soon as possible," he concluded.