Deputy Commander of the IRGC Threatens Israel with 'Specific Revenge'

Hossein Salami, the Deputy Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has threatened Israel with 'specific revenge.' On Saturday, January 24, he told Al-Alam TV that 'the reopening of the West Bank front, support for jihadist groups in Palestine and Lebanon, and the establishment of new defensive capacities and infrastructures for Muslims living near the borders of the Zionist regime and occupied Palestine are our past policies and will continue in the future. However, we will definitely take specific action to retaliate for the incident that occurred in Quneitra and near the Golan.' Mohammad Ali al-Hadadi, an IRGC commander, Jihad Mughniyeh, a commander of Hezbollah Lebanon and son of the former operational commander of this group, along with several other personnel and commanders from both groups, were killed last Sunday in a missile attack attributed to Israeli helicopters in the Golan Heights of Syria. Mohammad Ali Jafari, the Commander of the IRGC, had previously stated that Israel should expect 'devastating thunderbolts' in response to this operation. Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah Lebanon, also warned Israelis in a short message to 'prepare their shelters.' Meanwhile, the Israeli army has heightened security and military measures along its northern borders, warning against any attacks on Israel. Moshe Ya'alon, Israel's Defense Minister, stated that his country 'knows how to impose a heavy price on those who harm Israel.' The threats from IRGC commanders come as Hezbollah Lebanon has promised its government that it will not use Lebanese territory for retaliation against Israel in the event of a potential attack. The Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Anbaa reported on January 24, citing Mohammad Fneish, a senior member of Hezbollah and a security official in the Lebanese government, that Hezbollah is fully aware of the public opinion in Lebanon regarding the massive destruction the country suffered following Israel's retaliatory attack in 2006. Fneish stated that whenever Hezbollah intends to respond to Israel's recent attack, it will consider 'Lebanon's national interests.'