As the world speculates about Iran's "next move" in the wake of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's assassination, concerns grow over potential retaliation. Meanwhile, reports from the U.S. indicate preparations for a possible attack from Iranian territory.
However, according to a report by Bloomberg, Iran is likely seeking to avoid a regional war. Current and former officials in the U.S. and several Middle Eastern countries suggest Nasrallah's assassination is unlikely to trigger such a conflict.
Instead, Iran is expected to focus on rebuilding Hezbollah and keeping its proxies across the region active for as long as possible.
Bloomberg highlights the severe blow Hezbollah, and by extension, Iran, suffered with the assassination of Nasrallah and Hezbollah's top leadership. They also note a cautious statement issued by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who declared that the region's future will be shaped by the "forces of resistance," but stopped short of issuing a direct threat against Israel.
A source familiar with the operations of Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria said Hezbollah’s allies in these countries are now expected to play a central role in smuggling resources to the Lebanese terror group.
The same source added that Iran will now also try to move thousands of fighters to the border areas of Lebanon and Syria and, according to him, thousands of fighters have already moved from Iraq to Syria in recent months - a move that probably indicates that Iran is preparing to strengthen its forces in the region, apparently for the purposes of "deterrence."
Ruins from Israeli strikes attack in Dahieh
Bloomberg also reports that since Hezbollah began assisting the Assad regime in the Syrian civil war in 2012, the Shiite terrorist organization has built bases and a "sophisticated" network of tunnels in various areas of Syria close to the border with Lebanon. A source familiar the details noted that many Hezbollah field commanders recently fled Lebanon to Syria along with their families.
Meanwhile, a drone exploded on Monday at a horse farm in Merom Golan, meters from kids, injuring horses on Golan Heights.
No sirens were activated anywhere nearby, to warn of the attack. There were no injuries reported but a fire broke out and was handled by the local emergency response team. Two horses were injured by shrapnel.