Mohsen Reza'i, former commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said Tehran is monitoring developments closely and will not tolerate military action against Beirut or the southern suburbs.
Reza'i, who also sits on Iran's expediency council, said the two areas represent a red line for Tehran. "The suburb and Beirut are our red line, and no one has the right to move towards Beirut and the suburb, and therefore we are monitoring and watching matters with utmost seriousness," he said.
The warning comes as Israeli strikes continue across Lebanon. In recent hours, aircraft have hit several southern towns including Arbasieh, Nabatieh al-Fauqani, Bra'ashit and al-Mansouri, along with areas near al-Dabusha, Ali al-Tahir and Wadi al-Saluki.
The southern suburbs of Beirut have been targeted in previous phases of the conflict with Israeli strikes on positions and figures linked to Hezbollah, making the prospect of bombing expanding toward the capital a persistent focus of regional warnings and positions.
Reza'i is a senior Iranian military and political figure who led the Revolutionary Guard for many years and sits on the expediency council. He appears regularly in discussions of Iran's national security and regional policy.
His comments reflect a clear escalation in Iranian rhetoric regarding any action targeting Beirut or the southern suburbs, coming as tension between Iran, the United States and Israel intensifies.
