Iran vows missile and drone attacks on Israel to support Lebanese and Palestinians

As confusion over a deal between Iran and the United States regarding the ongoing war persists, Revolutionary Guards on Tuesday (March 24) threatened to conduct “heavy” missile and drone attacks on Israel in support of Lebanese and Palestinian civilians.

“We warn the regime's criminal army that if its crimes against civilians in Lebanon and Palestine persist, Israeli forces will be the target of heavy missile and drone strikes,” the Guards said in a statement.

Israel has been targeting Gaza and Lebanon over Hamas and Hezbollah since the October 7, 2023, attack. It escalated these attacks on Lebanon after the US-Israel coalition started its bombing campaign in Iran targeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the top Iranian leadership.

These warnings from Iran’s powerful Guards come as many conflicting reports on the status of the ongoing US–Israel–Iran conflict persist, after US President Donald Trump on Monday announced in a social media post a five-day postponement of all planned military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure. The pause is intended to provide a window for ongoing diplomatic talks aimed at reaching a “complete and total resolution” of hostilities in the region.

Notably, the US President underlined that the instruction to the Department of Defence is contingent upon the continued success of these detailed and constructive meetings, which are scheduled to continue throughout the week.

However, Iran officially dismissed Donald Trump’s assertion that the two countries are engaged in “very good and productive” conversations to resolve the war.

Iran vows ‘heavy’ missile fire on Israel

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that the military will take control of southern Lebanon all the way to the Litani River.

“All five bridges over the Litani that were used by Hezbollah for the passage of terrorists and weapons have been blown up, and the IDF (Israeli military) will control the rest of the bridges and the security zone up to the Litani,” Katz said during a visit to a military command centre in Israel.

Katz added that the hundreds of thousands of South Lebanon residents who were displaced by the Middle East war this month “will not return south of the Litani River until security is guaranteed for the residents of northern Israel.”

(Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.)