Tehran: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Friday issued a stern warning to Hezbollah, cautioning the Lebanese group against joining the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. This comes amidst rising tensions and exchanges of hostilities between the two nations.

According to Anadolu Agency, Katz highlighted the risks faced by Hezbollah, stating that the group's secretary-general, Naim Qassem, was not learning from past lessons and seemed to be acting under Iran's directives. Katz's warning emphasized the potential consequences for Hezbollah if they were to align with Iran in the conflict, suggesting that the group should tread carefully.

The situation escalated after Qassem's statement on Thursday, where he made it clear that Hezbollah was not neutral and expressed solidarity with Iran. He indicated that the group would decide on actions they deemed appropriate in response to what he described as "brutal Israeli-American aggression."

The conflict intensified when Israel conducted airstrikes last Friday on several Iranian sites, including military and nuclear facilities. These actions prompted retaliatory strikes from Tehran. Israeli authorities have reported that at least 25 people have been killed and hundreds injured due to Iranian missile attacks. On the other hand, Iranian media reports claim that 639 individuals have died, and more than 1,300 have been wounded in Israeli assaults.