Nasrallah Says Israel in 'Direct Combat' with Iran after Syria Raid

Israel's strike on a Syrian airbase this week has put it in direct confrontation with regional foe Iran, Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Friday. 

"The Israelis committed a historic mistake... and put themselves in direct combat with Iran," Nasrallah warned in a televised address on the parliamentary elections.

Seven Iranian personnel were killed in Monday's strike.

"This is unprecedented in seven years (of war in Syria): that Israel directly targets Iran's Revolutionary Guard," Nasrallah said.

He added that the "targeted killing" of Iranians was an act of "grave foolishness."

"This is a turning point for the region, and what came before is not what will come after," Nasrallah warned.

Israel is believed to have carried out numerous raids inside Syria since 2013 but it rarely admits to them publicly. It declined to comment on accusations by the Syrian government and ally Russia that Israeli forces were behind the T-4 strike.

Russian, Iranian and Hizbullah fighters have a presence at the base, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Observatory said a total of 14 fighters, including Iranians, died in the strike. Moscow has said no Russians were killed in the attack.

Turning to the standoff over the suspected Syria chemical attack, Hizbullah's leader said addressing U.S. President Donald Trump: "Your tweets do not scare us."

"With such a (U.S.) president and such an administration, we have to worry and prepare for all scenarios," Nasrallah said.

"Trump and his administration and intelligence as well as the entire world must know that all these tweets and Hollywoodish threats have not scared and will not scare Syria, Iran, Russia, the resistance movements or the region's people," the Hizbullah leader stressed.

He also said there is no proof and no logic to accusations that the Syrian government used chemical weapons in Douma.

"Someone who is cornered might use chemicals, but why would a victor need to?" Nasrallah said.

He added: "We condemn the use of chemical weapons, which is a war crime, but what happened in Douma was a farce."

Separately, Nasrallah reminisced the period during Prime Minister Saad Hariri's resignation ordeal. He said that Saudi minister Thamer al-Sabhan had sought to "spark civil war in Lebanon through the detention of the Lebanese premier."

"Some in Lebanon were ready to go to that war," Nasrallah added.

As for the elections, Hizbullah's leader said "no party has the right to monopolize Beirut."

"The Beirut Unity list (of Hizbullah and its allies) is not running in the parliamentary elections to usurp Beirut's decision as al-Mustaqbal (Movement)'s list is claiming. Those who will elect it are the people of Beirut," Nasrallah emphasized.