‘An All-Out War...’: US Warns Of Iranian Retaliation As Hezbollah Mourning Top Commanders Loss

Hezbollah mourns the loss of key commanders Hassan Nasrallah and Nabil Kaouk as U.S. National Security Spokesperson John Kirby warns of potential Iranian retaliation.

As Hezbollah mourns the loss of two senior commanders, U.S. National Security Spokesperson John Kirby warned on Sunday of a potential Iranian retaliation against Israel for strikes on Hezbollah. Kirby added that the US must be prepared for such a scenario, according to a Reuters report. 

In a precise attack on Friday over Hezbollah bunker HQ in Beirut, Lebanon, Israel neutralised the organisations’ chief, Hassan Nasrallah and in another offensive reportedly killed senior commander Nabil Kaouk. In this situation the United States is closely monitoring how Hezbollah will attempt to address its leadership gap. 

U.S. National Security Spokesperson John Kirby told CNN that pursuing "an all-out war with Hezbollah, certainly with Iran, is not the way" to secure the safe return of hostages, stressing that "a diplomatic path is the right course." The United States, a longstanding ally of Israel and its largest arms supplier, has been urging caution in the conflict. 

During an interview with ABC's Martha Raddatz, Kirby further added, "There's no question that the Hezbollah of today is not the Hezbollah that was even just a week ago." However, he cautioned that Hezbollah is expected to reorganize, adding that "somebody will be anointed" to succeed Nasrallah as the leader of the group. 

Lebanon's Health Ministry reported that over 1,000 people have been killed and 6,000 injured in the past two weeks. The government also said that one million people, about 20% of the country's population, have been displaced from their homes. 

On Saturday, Iran vowed to protect its national and security interests, though it did not provide specifics. Iran also called for a United Nations Security Council meeting to address Israel's actions.