The conversation turned to the possibility of a full Israeli offensive to its north, in Lebanon, the sources said. At the previously unreported meeting, Mr. Nasrallah reassured Mr. Qaani he did not want Iran to get sucked into a war with Israel or the United States and that Hezbollah would fight on its own, all the sources said. “This is our fight,” Mr. Nasrallah told Mr. Qaani, said one Iranian source with knowledge of the discussions. Two U.S. sources and an Israeli source on request of anonymity, said Iran wanted to avoid blowback from an Israel-Hezbollah war. A senior Israeli official agreed that Iran was not seeking a full-blown war, noting Tehran’s restrained response to Israel’s offensive on Hamas.

Source: The Hindu March 16, 2024 05:48 UTC