The Israeli military spokesman, Daniel Hagari, has declared that the latest Iranian “attack will have consequences. We have plans, and we will operate at the place and time we decide”.
But Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said: “If the Zionist regime reacts to Iranian operations, it will face crushing attacks”, according to a statement carried by the Fars news agency.
French Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, expressed concern about “a direct conflict that seems to be underway between Iran and Israel”.
Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on social media platform X that the attack is “leading the region further towards the abyss”.
Iran-backed group Hamas praised the Iranian attack, saying it was “in revenge for the blood of our heroic martyrs”.
And Tehran-aligned armed factions in Iraq threatened to target “all” US forces in the country if Iran comes under attack.
The escalation came after the Israeli military early Tuesday said troops had started “targeted ground raids” in south Lebanon, across Israel’s northern border.
The Israeli ground offensive came despite growing calls for de-escalation after a week of air strikes that killed hundreds in Lebanon, including Hassan Nasrallah, the powerful leader of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
Iran has said Nasrallah’s killing will bring about Israel’s “destruction”, though the foreign ministry said Monday that Tehran would not deploy any troops to confront Israel.
The Pentagon said the United States was boosting its forces in the Middle East by a “few thousand” troops.
Greater suffering
In Lebanon, the UN peacekeeping mission said the Israeli offensive did not amount to a “ground incursion” and Hezbollah denied any troops had crossed the border.
There was no way to immediately verify the claims, which came as Israel struck south Beirut, Damascus and Gaza, despite international calls for restraint to avoid a regional conflagration.
“We fear a large-scale ground invasion by Israel into Lebanon would only result in greater suffering,” said UN human rights office spokeswoman Liz Throssell.
Israel’s defence minister warned the fight is far from over, even after a massive strike on Beirut killed Nasrallah on Friday.
Israel seeks to dismantle Hezbollah’s military capabilities and restore security to the north, where tens of thousands have been displaced by nearly a year of cross-border fire.
The Iran-backed group, which suffered heavy losses in a spate of attacks last month, said it targeted Israeli army bases on Tuesday.
Separately, a suspected shooting attack in Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening killed at least four people, police said.
Lebanon’s Health Minister, Firass Abiad, said more than 1,000 people have been killed since September 17.
Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati and the UN humanitarian agency appealed for more than $400 million in aid for the displaced, estimating there could be as many as one million.