Iran reportedly convenes terror proxies to plot assassination response, Israel 'strongly prepared in defense'
Two high-profile assassinations in the Middle East prompted Iran to hold a meeting with representatives from its proxy groups to plan a response to those deaths, for which Iranian officials have blamed Israel.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, speaking Thursday at a funeral for the group’s "No.2" commander Fuad Shukr, claimed that "Israelis are happy now" but that they have "crossed a red line" and should expect "rage and revenge on all the fronts supporting Gaza," The Times of Israel reported.
Nasrallah also claimed that Shukr’s death was an "act of war" rather than a response to the rocket attack that killed a dozen children in the Golan Heights over the weekend, for which Hezbollah continues to deny involvement, while the U.S. and Israel both laid the blame at the group’s feet.
A U.S. official told Fox News Digital that reports of 12 warships deployed to the region over concerns for escalating tensions following the assassinations were "not true," and that "no official tasking has been given" to the vessels, which were already in the Middle East. The official noted that the ships remain spread out, with some even in ports or conducting routine operations, and that none of the vessels are near any locations of interest.
Meanwhile, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ordered his forces to launch a "direct" attack against Israel, according to The New York Times, citing three Iranian officials.
"The criminal, terrorist Zionist regime martyred our dear guest in our territory and has caused our grief, but it has also prepared the ground for a severe punishment," Khamenei's English-language X account said on Wednesday.
"Martyr Haniyeh was willing to sacrifice his honorable life in this dignified battle for many years. He was prepared for martyrdom and had sacrificed his children and loved ones on this path," Khamenei added.
The order for a strike occurred hours before a meeting between top Iranian officials and representatives from regional allies in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen to discuss potential retaliation against Israel.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM CALLS ON ISRAEL TO ‘DESTROY’ IRANIAN OIL REFINERIES
The representatives hail from groups such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, Iraqi terror groups and the Houthi movement – all of whom the U.S. and others have said are proxies of Iran. They will meet with Khamenei and senior members of the IRGC, according to officials with knowledge of the meeting.
"Iran and the resistance members will conduct a thorough assessment after the meeting in Tehran to find the best and most effective way to retaliate against the Zionist regime (Israel)," a senior Iranian official told Reuters.
Hezbollah confirmed Shukr’s death around 24 hours after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) strike on Beirut earlier this week. The U.S. State Department indicated that Shukr – for whom the U.S. had a bounty of $5 million for his involvement in the 1983 Marines barracks bombing that killed 241 U.S. military personnel – had died after succumbing to wounds sustained in the strike.
Shortly after Hezbollah suffered that significant loss, Hamas announced that its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in an airstrike on his residence in Tehran after attending the inauguration of new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
NETANYAHU SPEAKS OUT FOLLOWING DEADLY ISRAELI STRIKES AGAINST IRANIAN PROXIES
The U.S. continues to deny any involvement in Haniyeh’s death and could not confirm if Israel was behind the strike.
Israeli air force chief Tomar Bar, speaking on Wednesday at a graduation ceremony, warned that Israel will always act against those who threaten its citizens, proclaiming that "we are also strongly prepared in defense."
"Hundreds of aerial defense soldiers, along with air control personnel, are stationed across the country with the best systems, ready to carry out their mission," Bar said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following an assessment at IDF Home Front Command, shared Bar's sentiment, saying, "I am impressed by the important work that has been done up until now. Of course, we are prepared for what may come."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"Israel is in a state of very high readiness for any scenario – on both defense and offense," Netanyahu insisted. "We will exact a very high price for any act of aggression against us from any quarter.
Fox News Digital's Yonat Friling contributed to this report.