John Jefferson
Israel targeted a Hezbollah naval base in Beirut overnight, the Israeli military said Tuesday, as Iran worked to rally Gulf Arab nations ahead of a potential retaliatory strike from the Jewish State.
The Hezbollah naval base held a training center, an area to conduct experiments and military speedboats that were intended to be used in attacks on Israeli navy vessels and targets within Israel’s territorial waters, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
Israel also conducted strikes on Hezbollah weapons storage facilities, command centers and additional terrorist targets in Beirut, some of which were located underground, the IDF said.
Israel took steps to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including issuing precise and advanced warnings to civilians in the area before launching the strikes, according to the IDF.
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The strikes come as speculation grows over how Israel will retaliate for Tehran’s Oct. 1 ballistic missile attack on Israel.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insisted Tehran’s neighbors wouldn’t allow their territory to be used for such an assault and that it would strike back just as hard.
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“All the neighbors assured us that they will not allow their lands and air to be used against Iran,” Araghchi said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. “This is an expectation from all friendly and neighboring countries and we consider this a sign of friendship.”
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Gulf Arab nations have not made any public pledges like those described by Araghchi.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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