Iran warns that if Israel were to invade Lebanon, it would be counter-attacked by several countries in the region. Iran's Fars News Agency reported that Ramin Mehman-Parast, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, issued the warning yesterday, saying that while it's unlike Israel will invade Lebanon, the "Zionist regime would be slapped hard in the face by the regional states if it dares to attack Lebanon again."

"What the Zionist regime [Israel] should understand well… is that an aggression against any country in the region or against any Muslim nation in the region will cause the strong reaction of all the regional countries," said Mehman-Parast, when asked about how Iran would react were Israel to attack Lebanon. "Given the regional countries' preparedness and vigilance, they won't allow the Zionist regime and its supporters to make a move in this regard."

The possibility of further clashes between Israel and Lebanon was heightened last week, after Lebanese snipers shot and killed an Israeli officer along the northern border and wounded a second officer, during routine IDF tree-clearing work on the Israeli side of the border. Israeli soldiers returned fire, killing three Lebanese soldiers and a journalist who had been invited to observe the pre-planned Lebanese army ambush.

But the Arabic and Muslim media has been quick to blame Israel for the incident, reversing the chronology of the events and suggesting that the assault was due to an Israeli incursion. The
Fars News Agency recalled the events as follows: "...Israeli forces launched several rockets targeting a Lebanese army position on the country's southern border, killing at least three Lebanese soldiers. One Israeli officer was also killed in the resulting firefights, while several other Lebanese and Israeli soldiers were injured. According to a Lebanese army spokesman, the violence broke out after Israeli soldiers entered Lebanon, attempting to uproot a tree on the Lebanese side of the border."
 

The Lebanese Daily Star reported that Lebanese Foreign Minister Ali Shami applauded Iran’s support of Lebanon against "Israeli aggression." Ali Shami, who was in Tehran over the weekend, said Lebanon was grateful for the “material and moral support of Iran against the Zionist regime.”

Shami met with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili. The Star reported that Jalili said, “The Lebanese Army, which has the backing of the people and the resistance, will not let the Zionist regime cut even one tree in Lebanon.”

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told Shami that a united Arab front against Israel symbolized by a tripartite summit in Beirut has "foiled plots of the enemy Zionist regime. Their presence represented solidarity and unity in the entire region and promoted the nation’s front against the Zionist regime and its sponsors.”

According to Shami, Lebanon is planning to complain to the the UN Security Council and General Assembly about alleged Israeli spying in Lebanon. “The report is now ready,” he said.