US Warns Islamic Republic: Do Not Exploit Pager Explosions to Escalate Tensions in the Region

On Tuesday, September 17, following the explosion of thousands of pagers used by members of Hezbollah in Lebanon, the United States urged the Islamic Republic to refrain from actions that would lead to "greater instability" and "increased tensions." Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US State Department, told reporters: "We ask the Islamic Republic of Iran not to exploit any incident to create further instability and escalate tensions in the region." Mr. Miller added that the US had "no involvement" in the pager explosions in Lebanon and was not previously aware of the situation. According to CNN, he referred to the explosions as an "incident" rather than an "attack" and stated that the US is gathering information on the matter. Matthew Miller did not specify whether the United States would conduct its own independent assessment, but mentioned that the country is collecting information through "diplomatic channels" and other conventional methods. News sources citing eyewitnesses reported that on Tuesday, following the sudden explosion of thousands of pagers in Lebanon, nearly 3,000 people, including hundreds of Hezbollah members, were injured. The Lebanese Minister of Health stated that at least 9 people, including a child, were killed and about 2,800 others were injured. According to the Associated Press, Firas Al-Abyad noted that the condition of about 200 of the injured is "critical." Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 14 pro-Iranian militia members, including Hezbollah fighters, were transferred to hospitals in the Damascus and Rif Dimashq provinces due to injuries sustained from the pager explosions. The London-based organization indicated that the nationality of these militia members is unclear. Additionally, the Telegram channel "Sabereen News" reported that 7 people were injured in "Zainabiyah" in Syria due to the pager explosion. Government news agencies also reported that Mojtaba Amani, the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, was injured in the pager explosion. The extent of Amani's injuries is still unclear. However, on his social media page, it was stated by his wife that he was "slightly injured" but is "fine and has passed through safely." According to the Lebanese news outlet Al-Nashra, the pager explosion was due to "intelligence infiltrations." Meanwhile, Reuters reported, citing an unnamed Hezbollah official, that the pager explosions represented the "largest security breach" the group has faced in nearly a year of conflict with Israel. The pagers had been purchased following a warning from Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, urging members of the group to stop using their mobile phones, which he warned could be tracked by Israeli intelligence. One Hezbollah official told the Associated Press that the pagers were of a new model that the group had not previously used. Reuters cited a Hezbollah source stating that Hassan Nasrallah was not harmed in the explosions. The Associated Press reported that its photographers at hospitals noted that emergency rooms were filled with individuals injured from the pager explosions, with some in critical condition. Based on this report, the Lebanese news agency announced that hospitals in southern Lebanon, the eastern Bekaa Valley, and the southern suburbs of Beirut, areas where Hezbollah has a significant presence, have called on residents to donate blood. Earlier, a security source had told Reuters that pager explosions were also reported in southern Lebanon. Reports indicate that the Lebanese Ministry of Health has requested hospitals to be on "full alert" for emergency cases and has urged people to stay away from wireless devices. In the meantime, the French news agency reported that hundreds of Hezbollah members were injured following the pager explosions, and that the ten-year-old daughter of a member of the group was killed as a result of her father's pager explosion. This news agency, without naming the Hezbollah member, stated that it obtained this information through the family of the girl and sources close to Hezbollah. The Islamic Republic, Hezbollah, and the Lebanese government have pointed fingers at Israel for the explosions. Meanwhile, the Israeli army has refrained from commenting on the Reuters investigation regarding the explosions. Nevertheless, Hezbollah has threatened to respond. The Lebanese Foreign Ministry announced that it is preparing a complaint to the United Nations Security Council regarding what it termed an "Israeli cyber attack." In this context, the government news agency IRNA reported that Abbas Araqchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister, in a phone conversation with his Lebanese counterpart, Abdullah Bouhabib, claimed that Israel has targeted "Lebanese citizens." This comes as Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed group, acknowledges that the pager explosions targeted its members. Abbas Araqchi expressed readiness to provide any "assistance" from the Islamic Republic for the "treatment of the injured or their transfer to Tehran." On the other hand, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that senior security officials in the country have been summoned for an emergency cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv. This emergency meeting is set to discuss potential security plans in the event of tensions in northern Israel. In this context, the Israeli army announced on Tuesday night that Herzi Halevi, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, emphasized Israel's readiness for attack and defense in all areas during a meeting with senior military commanders. The Israeli army also stated that there are currently no changes in the directives regarding civilians but urged the public to remain vigilant. The Israeli army noted that if conditions change, the internal command directives would be updated immediately. Meanwhile, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the United Nations, stated that developments in Lebanon are very concerning given what he termed a "very unstable situation." The Israeli internal security and intelligence agency (Shin Bet) announced on Tuesday, September 17, that it had thwarted a "Hezbollah plot" to assassinate a former senior military official in Israel that was planned for the coming days. Shin Bet did not name the official but stated that a device connected to a remote detonation system using a mobile phone and camera was discovered, which Hezbollah intended to use to carry out operations from Lebanon. Shin Bet did not provide further details, stating that this action is similar to a Hezbollah plot in Tel Aviv that was thwarted a year ago. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by several Western countries, although some countries are reluctant to sanction the political wing of the group, fearing that such actions could lead to further instability in Lebanon and disrupt contact with government officials. Hezbollah was established in 1982 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Several countries, including the United States, Israel, Germany, Serbia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and Australia, have recognized the group as a terrorist organization. Recognizing Hezbollah as a terrorist organization means not distinguishing between its political and military wings and labeling both as terrorists. Since last fall, Israel and Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed group, have been exchanging fire along the Lebanon border, which is considered the most intense of its kind in two decades. This border conflict has been in support of Hamas, the Iranian-backed group, which attacked Israel last fall. As a result of the Hezbollah-Israel conflict, tens of thousands of people from towns and villages on both sides of the border have left their homes. Farzin Nadimi: The Hezbollah pager explosion is a military-grade cyber offensive. At least 9 killed and about 3,000 injured in the explosion of Hezbollah pagers in Lebanon and Syria. Shin Bet: Hezbollah's plot to assassinate a former Israeli military official thwarted.