Yahya Rahim Safavi: 80,000 Hezbollah Missiles Ready to Strike Israel

Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, stated in a television program that 80,000 missiles from Hezbollah are ready to be fired at Israel and that "Iran has the capability to level Haifa and Tel Aviv to the ground with the help of its friends in the event of a military invasion." The Major General of the Revolutionary Guards mentioned on the night of May 30 that "Iran's power is beyond what they would dare to confront us with." According to the official news agency of the Islamic Republic, IRNA, he added that Israel is "not so foolish" as to attack Iran. The Supreme Leader's senior military advisor also referred to a "proxy war on behalf of the U.S." in the Middle East, claiming that "terrorist groups are seeking to disintegrate the countries in the region." The topic of "proxy war" was recently echoed in the Supreme Leader's remarks. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on May 30, warned in a stern speech about the existing unrest in the region that if "enemies" bring the proxy war "to Iran's borders," Tehran's response will be "very harsh." These statements come amid new crises in the Middle East, including advances by the group known as the "Islamic State" in Syria and Iraq, as well as the war in Yemen. Meanwhile, the United States has also warned about the outbreak of Iran's proxy war in Middle Eastern countries; for instance, in 2012, the White House stated that if Bashar al-Assad does not end what Washington called a "brutal massacre" in Syria, that country would become a battleground for a proxy war between Iran and other regional powers. The Syrian civil war, with over 200,000 deaths, continues, and influence in the country is divided among Islamists, opposition groups, and the central government. While Yahya Rahim Safavi has spoken about Iran's and its allies' "power" for a potential confrontation with Israel, recent reports have also emerged regarding the provision of "special assistance" from the United States to Israel amid changes in the Middle East. Notably, one day before the Iranian officials' statements, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that although neither side in Washington or Tel Aviv has mentioned it, Barack Obama is seeking to provide a "significant defensive reward" to Israel if a final nuclear agreement is reached between Iran and global powers. Other newspapers and publications in Israel have also noted that the United States would provide more F-35 fighter jets or defense systems to Israel if a final nuclear agreement with Iran is reached.