Hezbollah threatens Israel with precision-guided missiles
Tehran-backed guerillas' leader marks end of Ramadan with vow to inflict 'real hell' on thousands in Israel, apparently to deter attacks on Lebanon or Iran
Hezbollah said it could kill tens of thousands of Israelis by hitting targets with precision-guided missiles in a declaration that seemed aimed at deterring Israeli strikes on Lebanon or its regional backer Iran.
Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah said his group could turn the lives of hundreds of thousands of Israelis "to real hell" by hitting a small number of number of targets he said was "not large" - a possible reference to nuclear facilities, though Nasrallah would not go into details.
"During any stage of an attack on our country, if we are forced to use or target this type of target, to protect our people and country, we will not hesitate," he said.
Nasrallah's remarks on Friday will likely be factored into Israeli calculations ahead of any military action against Iran, which is pursuing a nuclear programme viewed as an existential threat in Israel.
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has said he believes his country would suffer up to 500 casualties in any conflict aimed at wiping out Iran's nuclear facilities - which both Israel and Western powers believe Tehran is using to develop nuclear weapons.
"We can talk about tens of thousands of dead," Nasrallah said in a speech to mark Jerusalem Day, commemorated on the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan according to a tradition established by Iran's late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. "I tell the Israelis that you have a number of targets, not a large number … that can be hit with precision rockets … which we have.