On Saturday evening, Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, commented on Israel’s accusation against Hezbollah, and by extension Iran, for the rocket attack on the town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights.
Israeli authorities reported that twelve people, including children, were killed in a rocket attack on a football field in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Saturday.
Israel accused the Iranian-allied Lebanese group Hezbollah of carrying out the strike and vowed that it would pay a heavy price for the attack. Hezbollah denied responsibility for the attack, which caused the highest number of casualties in either Israel or the annexed territories since the conflict in Gaza began on October 7.
The attack has escalated tensions in the ongoing conflict parallel to the war in Gaza and has raised fears of a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah.
In a post on his official X account, Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani stated: “Regardless of the theatrics created by the Zionist regime a few hours ago, our position regarding the threats of expanding the war in Lebanon and the region is summed up in the ‘three noes.'”
Amani clarified these “three noes”: “First, we do not expect it to happen and consider its chances very slim due to the imposed power equations.”
He continued, discussing the likelihood of the war expanding: “Second, we do not want it because the Islamic Republic of Iran always seeks to reduce tensions in the region.”
He concluded his post by saying: “Third, we are not afraid of it in any sense of the word, and our enemies can imagine what we can do with the power, capability, and defense of resistance that we have,” as reported by the Lebanese National News Agency.
The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Janine Hennis-Plasschaert, and the head of the international peacekeeping force, General Aroldo Lazaro, urged maximum restraint on the Lebanese-Israeli border following the attack on Majdal Shams on Saturday.
In a joint statement, the officials said, “We condemn the killing of civilians, including young children and teenagers, in Majdal Shams. Civilians must be protected at all times.”
The UN officials called for an end to the intense and ongoing exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah.
They emphasized that the exchange of shelling could spark a broader conflict that could plunge the entire region into an unimaginable catastrophe.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the office of the UN Special Coordinator are in contact with both Lebanon and Israel to contain the situation, according to Reuters.