Iran’s interim foreign minister has warned that Lebanon will “definitely be a hell with no return for the Zionists,” if the Israeli regime dares expand its brutal war on the Gaza Strip to the Arab country and other fronts in the region.

Ali Bagheri Kani made the statement while speaking to reporters after a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Tuesday evening.

“The Zionists cannot make up for their losses in Gaza by expanding their war mongering in other areas in the region, rather they will be plunging themselves deeper into the swamp of much more serious risks,” the top Iranian diplomat said.

Bagheri Kani said they discussed the latest state of Iran-Russia relations in various fields and also exchanged their views on regional and international issues, especially the Israeli crimes in Gaza and the urgency of ending the occupying regime’s months-long genocide in the besieged Palestinian territory.

Responding to a question about tensions between Israel and Lebanon’s resistance movement Hezbollah, Bagheri Kani said, “This is proven experience that the more the Zionists stoke tensions in the region and commit crimes, the more they immerse themselves in the mire of serious threats and dangers.”

Iran’s interim foreign minister stressed, “Lebanon is reminiscent of historical defeats inflicted on the Zionists [by Hezbollah fighters] both in 2000 and 2006. Therefore, Lebanon will definitely be a hell with no return for the Zionists.”

Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging deadly fire since early October last year, shortly after the regime launched a genocidal aggression against the Gaza Strip following a surprise operation by Palestinian resistance groups.

The Lebanese resistance movement has vowed to keep up its retaliatory attacks as long as the Israeli regime continues its Gaza war, which has so far killed over 38,700 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Hezbollah officials have repeatedly said they are not after a war with Israel, while stressing that they are prepared in case it occurs.

Two Israeli wars waged against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006 were met with strong resistance from Hezbollah, resulting in the retreat of the regime in both conflicts.

Israel ‘source of escalating tension’

During their meeting on Tuesday, the two diplomats emphasized the need to prevent the continuation of the Israeli regime’s crimes and attacks against the Palestinian people in Gaza and warned spread of attacks by the regime is the source of the “escalating tension of crisis” in the region.

Bagheri Kani also expressed his gratitude to Russia for its efforts to raise the Palestinian issue and the crimes committed by the Israeli regime in the Gaza war during the country’s rotating presidency of the UN Security Council.

Pointing to recent developments in bilateral relations between Tehran and Moscow, the top Iranian diplomat said the ties are on the right track but expressed hope that the process of finalizing important cooperation documents, especially the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, should be completed at the earliest.

The Russian foreign minister, for his part, hailed the successful conclusion of the presidential election in Iran, expressing satisfaction over the progress in bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Lavrov also noted that Russia was seeking to prevent the possibility of the expansion of the scope of the Israeli conflict but called for the responsibility of all parties in this regard.