Daily Tribune
A man walks amid the devastation in the aftermath of an Israeli strike that targeted the Sfeir neighborhood in Beirut’s southern suburbs. A huge fireball lit up the night sky and plumes of smoke rose over south Beirut early on 6 October as Israel unleashed intense air strikes targeting Hezbollah, nearly a year since the Gaza war erupted.
Jerusalem -- Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned Iran on Sunday that it might end up looking like Gaza or Beirut if the Islamic republic was considering an attempt to harm Israel.
"The Iranians did not touch the air force's capabilities –- no aircraft was damaged, no squadron was taken out of order," Gallant said in a statement, referring to Iran's recent missile strike on Israel that hit two bases of the Israeli air force.
"Whoever thinks that a mere attempt to harm us will deter us from taking action should take a look at (our achievements) in Gaza and Beirut."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meantime, visited troops along the border with Lebanon on Sunday, his office said, nearly a week after the Israeli military launched ground operations against Hezbollah inside southern Lebanon.
"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today visited the 36th Division base in the Lebanese border area," his office said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Iran has prepared a plan to respond to a possible Israeli attack following the Islamic republic's retaliatory missile strike against it last week, local media reported on Sunday.
"The plan for the necessary response to a possible action by the Zionists (Israel) has been fully prepared," Tasnim news agency said, quoting "an informed source" in the armed forces.
On Tuesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired some 200 missiles at Israel in retaliation after the leaders of groups allied to Tehran were killed in attacks.
"If Israel takes action, there will be no doubt that an Iranian counterattack will be carried out," said Tasnim.
It added that Iran "has a list of many Israeli targets", and said Iran's attack on Tuesday "showed that we can level to the ground any place it desires".
Tuesday's missile barrage, Iran's second-ever direct attack on Israel, came after an Israeli air raid killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and IRGC top general Abbas Nilforoushan in Beirut.
It was also in retaliation for the killing of Palestinian group Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on 31 July in Tehran in an attack widely blamed on Israel.
On Saturday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned of a "proportional and similar reaction from Iran, and even stronger" if Israel attacks.
On Sunday, Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad visited a key oil site in the Gulf, amid growing concerns over possible Israeli strikes on Iran's oil facilities.
United States President Joe Biden on Friday advised Israel against targeting oil sites in Iran, one of the world's 10 largest oil producers.
