A handout picture provided by the Iranian Presidency shows Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian speaking during a televised interview in the capital of Tehran on Aug. 31, 2024. (Iranian Presidency/AFP)
BEIRUT — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday emphasized the limitations of Hezbollah's capabilities in the face of Israel, as it intensifies its airstrikes on southern and eastern Lebanon.
In an interview on CNN, Pezeshkian said, "Hezbollah, by itself, cannot stand against a country that is armed to the teeth and has access to weapon systems that are far superior to anything else — against a country that is being defended and supported and supplied by Western and European countries and the United States of America."
"If there is a need Islamic countries must convene in order to formulate a reaction toward what's happening," he added
"We must not allow Lebanon to become another Gaza at the hands of Israel," he also said.
The death toll from Monday, the first day of what the Israeli army has called its "Northern Arrows" operation, has reached nearly 500 dead and more than 1,645 injured in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa. A targeted strike also hit the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Hezbollah launched six strikes against northern Israel overnight, reaching as far as Zikhron Yaakov, about 60 kilometers from the border. Tens of thousands of people have fled the South.
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