Iran preparing for war with Israel and US? IRGC takes over Hezbollah amid escalating tensions - What this means
Iran’s IRGC is reportedly rebuilding Hezbollah as Israel intensifies strikes in Lebanon and US-Iran tensions surge. With US naval deployments, troop movements, and nuclear talks underway, fears of a wider regional conflict are growing rapidly.
IRGC running Hezbollah, preparing it for war with Israel if US strikes Iran
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have taken charge of Hezbollah amid heightened tensions with the US, according to Saudi outlet Al-Arabiya. The report said that the IRGC officers, who arrived in Lebanon from Iran, were tasked with rebuilding Hezbollah’s military capabilities. The Iranian officers are reportedly briefing Hezbollah operatives across Lebanon. The report added that IRGC officers also met Hezbollah’s missile unit at a site in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley that was bombed by Israel overnight.
Israel offensive against Hezbollah
On February 20-21, Israeli air strikes targeted multiple Hezbollah sites in southern and eastern Lebanon, wounding at least 50 people and killing 12. Reports indicate that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have received a "green light" from the United States to launch a fresh, expanded military offensive in the region.
Iran designates EU navy, air forces as ‘terrorist’ organisations
Meanwhile, in its attempt to clearly demarcate sides, Iran on Saturday (Feb 21) designated the navy and air forces of EU member states “terrorist” organisations, after the European bloc designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in late January.
Trump's ramps up forces around Iran
The USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier was sighted on Friday (Feb 20) sailing in waters off Gibraltar near northern Africa, Reuters reported, while USS Abraham Lincoln is currently positioned in the Arabian Sea, approximately 150 to 300 miles off the coast of Oman. Guided-missile destroyers USS McFaul and USS Mitscher are patrolling the Strait of Hormuz, as per reports. Additionally, Trump has signaled that "limited" strikes are under consideration to pressure the Iranian regime into a nuclear deal. In response, Iran has conducted naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz and warned that all US regional assets are "legitimate targets." Moreover, US has evacuated hundreds of troops from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and US Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, in what is being seen as preparation of war.
Iran-US tensions at its peak
Trump has suggested that "bad things" will happen if Tehran did not strike a deal, saying that it had 15 days to agree. The US had hit Iran last year after a failed nuclear diplomacy and 12-days war with Israel. While Iran has said that would be submitting a draft proposal for an agreement soon, Axios reported this week, citing an unnamed senior US official, that Washington was prepared to consider a proposed deal that only permitted “small, token enrichment.” Meanwhile, students in Iran reignited anti-regime protest and chanted ‘death to Khamenei’ slogans, while also urging Trump to intervene and ‘finish the job.’ Nuclear talks between the United States and Iran wrapped up in Geneva on February 17. While both sides report progress on "guiding principles," the differ in their approach on uranium enrichment.
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