The Media Line: Iran Instructs Hezbollah To Prepare for Expanded War; IDF Targets Terror Cell in Lebanon  

Iran Instructs Hezbollah To Prepare for Expanded War; IDF Targets Terror Cell in Lebanon  

By The Media Line Staff  

Iran has instructed Hezbollah and other regional proxies to prepare for a broader and more severe conflict as fighting between the United States and Iran escalates, as fighting continues in Lebanon, and Israel’s air force targets a terror cell.   

Lebanon’s Nidaa Al Watan newspaper reported Friday, citing information obtained from meetings held in Tehran during the recent funeral of former Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, that Iranian officials told leaders of the “Axis of Resistance,” including Hezbollah, to prioritize military preparations and warned that the current period of waiting was ending.  

The report comes amid consecutive days of US strikes on Iranian infrastructure and retaliatory Iranian drone attacks across the Persian Gulf.  

During these strikes, US military struck bridges, airports and military targets inside Iran. Tehran responded by attacking U.S. military bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar and targeting commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.  

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a public warning that echoed the reported message delivered to the country’s regional allies.  

“Now that the American enemy seeks to ignite further war, impose even heavier costs, and suffer even greater disgrace, it should know that the noble Iranian nation and the Axis of Resistance have unforgettable lessons in store for it,” he said.  

According to the report, Iran continues to regard Hezbollah as its most important regional proxy. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is reportedly attempting to replenish the Lebanese terrorist group’s arsenal with advanced drones, including first-person-view systems and fiber-optic hardware.  

Israel has largely remained on the sidelines during the latest exchanges between Washington and Tehran. However, the reported Iranian directive suggested Hezbollah could take a more active role in the fighting.  

Separately, the Israel Defense Forces said the Israeli Air Force, acting on intelligence from Commando Brigade troops operating under Division 36, struck and killed a Hezbollah cell near the security zone in southern Lebanon after identifying the operatives using explosive drones in the village of Tabnit.  

Also in southern Lebanon, a Lebanese army soldier was killed and two others were wounded when an explosive device detonated near a military vehicle in the village of Al-Mansouri. Lebanese media later reported the blast was most likely caused by leftover munitions after initially describing it as an attack targeting army personnel.