Israeli Army Exercises to Counter Iranian Intervention in Potential Conflict with Hezbollah

Israeli media reports that the country's army has examined the possibility of Iranian intervention in a potential future war between Israel and Hezbollah during recent military exercises. Simultaneously, a senior U.S. intelligence official has warned that another war between Israel and Hezbollah would also involve Iran, escalating into a 'war among major countries.' The Israeli website Walla reported on Thursday, March 15, that the army practiced various combat scenarios in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, and the rear, with the primary focus being a war with Hezbollah. According to the report, the Israeli army considered the possibility that Iran, which has a military presence in Syria, could play a significant role in a potential conflict with Hezbollah. The report added that the military presence of Russia in Syria, which is accompanied by the deployment of advanced Russian air defense systems, was also examined by Israeli military personnel in any potential future war scenarios between Israel and Hezbollah. Walla noted that Israeli military leaders concluded that the rear situation for Israel in a new war with Hezbollah would pose a serious challenge for the country. During this exercise, warning sirens for hypothetical rocket attacks were sounded twice on Tuesday across Israel to practice citizens taking shelter in safe places. Israeli media reported that in addition to the aforementioned exercise, the army recently conducted the annual 'Jennifer Cupra' maneuver with thousands of American soldiers deployed to Israel as part of military cooperation between the two countries to ensure Israel's security. Concurrently with these maneuvers, Aviv Kochavi, a commander of the Israeli army, stated that 'the current calm on Israel's northern border is misleading' and added that his country is preparing for battles on five fronts and the possibility of war with Iran. The Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister have recently stated that Iran has built precision weapons factories for Hezbollah in Syria and Lebanon, in addition to other extensive military and financial support to Hezbollah. The Prime Minister of Lebanon stated that Israel knows well that such a factory does not exist in Lebanon, but David Cutler, a senior U.S. intelligence official, said on Tuesday that the occurrence of a war between Israel and Hezbollah, with Iran's noticeable intervention, is a serious possibility. According to the Jerusalem Post, David Cutler emphasized that a war between Israel and Hezbollah, with Iranian involvement, would lead to 'a major war' among countries in the Middle East, which he described as 'concerning.' Cutler added that Iran, Russia, and Hezbollah have played a role in defeating ISIS in Syria and Iraq... but as Donald Trump, the U.S. President, has emphasized, Iran is 'the main factor of instability in the region.' The last war between Israel and Hezbollah twelve years ago resulted in widespread destruction in Lebanon and the deaths of over 1,200 Lebanese, including civilians and Hezbollah militants, while Israeli casualties were 121 soldiers and 44 civilians. Yisrael Katz, Israel's Minister of Intelligence, stated that in any future war, Lebanon would return to the 'Stone Age.' Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's Defense Minister, also emphasized that recent wars have not ended in decisive victories, but in the next war, this situation 'will change.' Israel also emphasizes that to ensure its security against Hezbollah, it will benefit from broader support from the U.S. government and some Arab countries in the region. On the other hand, Hezbollah, emphasizing its enhanced capabilities compared to the 2006 war, claims that despite thousands of its fighters being engaged in the Syrian civil war, it is prepared to confront a potential Israeli military attack. Israeli military commanders and U.S. intelligence officials have pointed out the 'more tangible' involvement of Iran in any future war between Israel and Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Iranian officials such as Ebrahim Raisi, head of the Astan Quds Razavi Foundation, and key figures from the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, allied with Iran, have visited the southern border of Lebanon and Israel in recent months alongside Hezbollah commanders to observe the area. Additionally, Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, recently met with Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, at an undisclosed location; no further details of this meeting have been released, and Soleimani's social media only published a photo from this meeting.