Iran’s Khamenei: If Israel continues its crimes, no one can stop ‘resistance forces’

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday that no one can stop Muslims and the “resistance forces” if Israel continued to commit “crimes” in Gaza.

“If the crimes of the Zionist regime continue, no one can stop the Muslims and the resistance forces,” Khamenei said as cited by state news agency IRNA.

Iran refers to a group of various proxy militias it backs across the region, like Hezbollah in Lebanon and militias in Iraq and Syria, as being part of the “resistance axis.”

Khamenei called for the Israeli bombardment of Gaza to immediately stop.

This comes a day after Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said that “preemptive action” against Israel was possible within hours.

Amirabdollahian said: “All possible options and scenarios are there for Hezbollah. Everything has been considered correctly in their calculations and resistance leaders will not allow [Israel] to take any action in the region. Any preemptive measure is possible in the coming hours,” as cited by IRNA.

He stressed that while a chance will be given for a political resolution of the conflict, “any action is possible” in case Israel continued its “war crimes” against Palestinian civilians.

Amirabdollahian added: “The resistance front has the capability of ‘long-term wars with the enemy,’ and that the expansion of the ongoing conflict will change the map of [Israel].”

Hezbollah deputy chief Naim Qassem said last week that international and regional calls for the group to stay out of the Hamas-Israel conflict will not be heeded.

“The behind-the-scenes calls with us by great powers, Arab countries, envoys of the United Nations, directly and indirectly telling us not to interfere will have no effect,” Qassem said as cited by Hezbollah TV Al Manar. “Hezbollah knows its duties perfectly well. We are prepared and ready, fully ready.”

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) warned Hezbollah of a “deadly” response if it continued to carry out attacks against Israel.

On Sunday, the IDF said it was “isolating” the area of up to four kilometers from the border with Lebanon, banning civilians from entry to the area. This comes amid the exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. The Iran-backed militia had launched three attacks on Israeli border regions resulting in the death of one person and the injury of three others.