On Wednesday, apprehensions of the Israel-Gaza conflict expanding across the region intensified following dual explosions in Iran that claimed the lives of at least 103 people. This incident occurred shortly after an attack in Lebanon, which resulted in the death of Hamas’s deputy leader.
Iran reported that over 200 individuals were injured in the explosions, which occurred around 15 minutes apart during a gathering commemorating the fourth anniversary of the killing of Revolutionary Guards general Qasem Soleimani in a U.S. drone strike. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, marking Iran’s deadliest incident since a 1978 arson.
Iranian TV labeled the explosions as a “terrorist attack,” heightening regional tensions already sparked by the previous day’s strike in Beirut, which killed Saleh al-Arouri, Hamas’s second-in-command. A U.S. official suggested that Arouri’s death resulted from “an Israeli strike,” making him the most prominent figure killed during the nearly three-month-long conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari, responding to the unclaimed Beirut attack, stated that the military was “highly prepared for any scenario” without directly commenting on Arouri’s death. Hamas announced that Arouri would be laid to rest on Thursday in Beirut’s Shatila Palestinian refugee camp.
In the aftermath of Arouri’s killing, Germany issued a warning to its citizens to evacuate Lebanon promptly, expressing concerns about the potential for further deterioration of the situation and an expansion of the conflict. The situation remains fluid, with heightened tensions raising fears of a broader regional escalation.
