The US warns that an Israeli offensive in Lebanon could provoke Iran’s intervention

June 23. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States, General Charles Brown, warned this Sunday that an Israeli military offensive on Lebanese territory could provoke a response from Iran and a larger scale war.

Iran “would be more likely to support Hezbollah,” according to Brown, who believes that Tehran supports the Palestinian group Hamas, but would support the Lebanese group more “particularly if they consider that Hezbollah is being significantly threatened,” according to the American press that accompanies Brown on a trip to Botswana to meet with African defense ministers.

Israel announced just a few days ago that it had “stopped and validated” plans for a military offensive in Lebanon despite warnings from Washington, Israel’s main ally. Brown himself has indicated that the United States continues to work with Israeli leaders to prevent the conflict from spreading.

So, one of the key messages is to “think about the side effects of any type of operation in Lebanon and how it would turn out and how it would affect not only the region, but also our forces deployed in the region as well.”