BEIRUT − On Friday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei asserted that Tehran and its allies in the region will remain steadfast in their stance following an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, which is believed to have targeted the potential successor to the late Hezbollah leader.

In a significant escalation, Iran launched missiles at Israel on Tuesday, partly responding to Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah’s secretary general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who had transformed the group into a formidable military and political entity across the Middle East.

The situation has led Israel to pledge retaliation, contributing to rising oil prices amidst fears of potential strikes on Iran’s oil infrastructure.

“Resistance in the region will not yield, even in the face of the deaths of its leaders,” Khamenei proclaimed during a rare Friday prayer gathering in Tehran. He referenced Nasrallah and characterized Iran’s military actions against Israel as both legal and justifiable.

Khamenei emphasized that Iran will not “delay or rush” in fulfilling its obligations against Israel, though he did not explicitly threaten either Israel or the U.S. while he stood near a rifle positioned to his left.

The semi-official news outlet SNN quoted deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards Ali Fadavi, who stated that Iran would target Israeli energy and gas facilities if attacked.

These heightened threats from Iran coincide with the uncertainty surrounding the fate of Hashem Safieddine, thought to be Nasrallah’s potential successor. According to Axios, three Israeli officials claimed that Safieddine was targeted in a strike in an underground facility in Beirut, but his current status remains unknown.

The Israeli military chose not to comment, and Hezbollah has not released any updates regarding Safieddine. However, his brother, Sayyed Abdallah Safieddine, who represents Hezbollah in Iran, was present at Khamenei’s speech in the capital.

Destruction of Buildings and Loss of Healthcare Workers

Recent Israeli strikes have increasingly targeted medical facilities and aid personnel. A strike on Wednesday devastated a building in central Beirut utilized by rescue workers linked to Hezbollah, resulting in nine fatalities, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

On Friday, another Israeli strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs resulted in the death of a rescuer from the same group, while a strike near the main hospital in the southern town of Marjayoun also occurred. Medical teams have opted to temporarily evacuate, reported hospital director Mounes Klakesh to Reuters.

Israel accuses militants of sheltering among civilian populations, a claim that Hezbollah disputes.

In Hezbollah’s stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut, many structures have been reduced to rubble due to a week of relentless bombings. On a major market street, known as Moawad Souk, nearly all shops have suffered damage, and debris littered the ground.

“We’re alive but uncertain for how much longer,” lamented Nouhad Chaib, a 40-year-old man who has already been displaced from the southern area.

Israeli airstrikes occurred just hours before Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met with top Lebanese officials in Beirut, including caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah supporter.

The Iranian Foreign Minister also stated that his visit to Beirut amid the current challenging circumstances illustrates Iran’s solidarity with Lebanon and support for its Shia Muslim community.

Araqchi expressed Tehran’s backing for a ceasefire in Lebanon, provided it is also endorsed by Hezbollah and coincides with a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Iran’s proxies within its “Axis of Resistance,” including Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, and armed factions in Iraq, have conducted operations throughout the region in solidarity with the Palestinians amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.

Israel has targeted and killed key leaders and commanders of Hezbollah and Hamas, the militant Palestinian group it has aimed to dismantle in Gaza since the attack on Israel last year.

Khamenei has stated that such actions are counterproductive.

“Any attack made by any group against Israel benefits the region as a whole and humanity,” he remarked.

On Friday, the Israeli military announced it had taken out Mohammad Rashid Sakafi, the head of Hezbollah’s communications, through a “targeted, intelligence-driven strike” in Beirut on Thursday. Hezbollah did not respond to inquiries regarding Sakafi.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Iran would face repercussions for its missile attack, while U.S. President Joe Biden mentioned on Thursday that Israel’s retaliation could involve targeting Iran’s oil facilities following the interception of Iran’s missile barrage by Israel’s defense systems.

These comments led to a spike in global oil prices as traders anticipate possible disruptions in supply.

The United States, the European Union, and other allies have urged for an immediate 21-day ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Lebanon. Prominent Lebanese officials have expressed their support for this and called on global powers to do more to contain Israel’s actions.

Israel states that its military operations in Lebanon are aimed at enabling tens of thousands of its citizens to return home after being forced to evacuate due to Hezbollah’s shelling during the Gaza conflict.

According to Lebanese authorities, over 1.2 million people have been displaced due to Israeli strikes, and nearly 2,000 people have lost their lives since the resurgence of Israeli attacks on Lebanon over the past year, with the majority of casualties occurring in the last two weeks.

U.N. officials reported on Friday that most of Lebanon’s nearly 900 shelters are at capacity, causing people escaping Israeli bombardments to increasingly find refuge outdoors—whether on the streets or in public parks.

An Israeli airstrike early on Friday created a four-meter-wide crater at Lebanon’s main border crossing into Syria, obstructing the passage for those fleeing Lebanon.

The Israeli military claims Hezbollah utilizes this crossing to smuggle weapons into Lebanon. Lebanese authorities have countered that all trucks undergo inspections and that the crossing is essential for humanitarian reasons.

On Friday, people were seen navigating around the crater on foot, carrying their suitcases and containers of fuel to cross into Syria.

After two weeks of heavy airstrikes, Israel is attempting ground operations in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah asserts that it has successfully thwarted these efforts using ambush tactics, rocket fire, and direct confrontations.