BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Hezbollah expressed solidarity with Iran on Saturday as it came under attack from the United States and Israel, warning in a statement of dire consequences for the region without saying whether it would get involved.
Hezbollah, a Shiite Muslim militia and political party that has fought numerous conflicts with Israel since being established by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in 1982, was severely weakened by Israel in a war in 2024, when its leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed.
Israel had warned Beirut that it would strike Lebanon hard, targeting civilian infrastructure including the airport, if Hezbollah involved itself in any US-Iran war.
In a statement, Hezbollah said the consequences of the US-Israeli plan would “affect everyone without exception if left unchallenged.” “We are confident that the American and Israeli enemy will receive a major blow,” it said.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he would not accept anyone dragging Lebanon into “adventures that threaten its security and unity,” a veiled message to Hezbollah.
Hezbollah expresses ‘solidarity’ with Iran, doesn’t say if it will act
https://arab.news/6stkc
Hezbollah expresses ‘solidarity’ with Iran, doesn’t say if it will act
- Hezbollah said the consequences of the US-Israeli plan would “affect everyone”
- “We are confident that the American and Israeli enemy will receive a major blow”
Sirens heard at Incirlik air base, key NATO facility in south Turkiye: state news agency
- Key NATO facility where US troops are stationed near the southeastern city of Adana
ANKARA: Sirens were heard early on Friday at Turkiye’s Incirlik air base, a key NATO facility where US troops are stationed near the southeastern city of Adana, state news agency Anadolu reported.
There was no immediate official comment on the incident, which took place four days after NATO air defenses shot down a ballistic missile in Turkish airspace that was fired from Iran, the second in five days.
Residents of Adana, which lies 10 kilometers away from the base, were woken at around 3:25 a.m. (0025 GMT) by sirens, which sounded for around five minutes, according to the Ekonomim business news website.
It said a red alert sounded at the base.
Several people posted mobile phone footage on social media of a glowing image flying through the sky, suggesting it could be a missile heading for the air base, it said.
Across the city, sirens from fire engines and the security forces could be heard for a long time, it added.
NATO said it shot down a second ballistic missile fired from Iran on Monday, prompting a stern warning from Turkiye to Tehran not to take “provocative steps.”
The announcement came shortly after Washington said it was closing down its consulate in Adana, urging all American citizens to leave southeastern Turkiye.
Since the US-Israeli war against Iran started, Tehran has launched strikes across the Middle East. Turkiye had appeared to have been spared.
As well as Incirlik air base, US troops are also stationed at Kurecik, another Turkish base that is a NATO facility in the center of the country, where a Patriot missile defense system was deployed on Tuesday.
A first missile had been intercepted by NATO defenses in Turkish air space on March 4.
