Israel strike on Iran consulate is a ‘turning point,’ response imminent: Nasrallah

Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said Friday that the Israeli strike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus was a “turning point,” vowing that the Iranian response was “definitely coming.”

In a televised speech, the Iran-backed Nasrallah said the region should be prepared for what could happen following a potential Israeli reaction to the Iranian response. He said response to the strike in Syria, which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said killed seven of its members, including two senior commanders, was “inevitable.”

As for the timing, he said it would be up to Tehran. He added that part of the war was to keep the Israelis worried, and he said Iran would not rush in retaliating. “Today, tomorrow, a few days from now, a month from now, Iran will respond to Israel.”

Nasrallah also cautioned the region to be prepared for all scenarios depending on the Israeli reaction to the Iranian response.

Earlier Friday, the deputy chief of staff for political affairs to Iran’s president said that Washington asked Tehran not to target American facilities. “In a written message, the Islamic Republic of Iran warns US leadership not to get dragged in Netanyahu’s trap for US: Stay away so you won’t get hurt.”

He was apparently referring to the Israeli strike. The Pentagon said that the US reached out to Iran after the attack to say that they were not responsible for the strike. “We were not notified by the Israelis about their strike or the intended target of their strike in Damascus,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said earlier this week.