Exclusive
COMING STORM
Hezbollah ready for ‘bloody fight to the death’ as Israel pave way for Lebanon invasion within HOURS, experts warn
Watch our interviews with two experts on how the Middle East is set to explode
ISRAELI forces are expected to march across the Lebanon border in a matter of hours as tensions spiral in the Middle East, experts have warned.
Analysts said terror group Hezbollah are ready for a "fight to the death" against Israel should they invade - with Iran ready to pounce and send the region into chaos.
6
6
6
Hezbollah have been decimated from the ground up by Israel - with their top brass being eliminated one-by-one.
The militia's long-term leader Hassan Nasrallah and several other commanders were wiped out this week, sparking fears of a drastic escalation.
Intelligence expert Anthony Glees told The Sun: "I now expect within hours that the Israeli army is going to march into southern Lebanon in the first instance, and we will see yet a further escalation.
"If Hezbollah won't hand over their weapons and they won't then the Israeli Defense Force is going to go in there and take the weapons off them."
read more in Israel
Israel's daily rocket barrages on Beirut are believed to be a clever ploy from the IDF to help begin their ground invasion into southern Lebanon.
Friday's Beirut blitz has left the terror group in chaos after it eliminated dozens of their leaders - paving the way for an Israeli invasion.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi has already made it clear that the attacks on Lebanon have been tactically done to open up opportunities for the military to enter.
He announced earlier this week: "You can hear the planes above, we are attacking all day.
Most read in The Sun
"This is both to prepare the ground for your possible entry and to continue degrading Hezbollah."
Anthony says Halevi's sentiment is a clear indicator that Israel is planning to surge across the border within hours.
Hezbollah after Nasrallah on 'verge of destruction', Israel ground op is 'urgent' and 'inevitable'
But the historian warned that despite the IDF outnumbering, outgunning and potentially outsmarting Hezbollah a complete offensive will be a tricky task to pull off.
Despite being severely weakened by the rocket strikes Hezbollah are still a scary prospect after decades of training and Iranian funding.
Anthony said: "I don't think the Israeli Defense force will go into southern Lebanon like a hot knife through butter.
"The Hezbollah fighters are fighters, and the origins of Hezbollah amongst displaced Palestinians mean that these people will fight to the death and kill as many Israelis as they possibly can.
"So I don't think it will be a simple affair, and of course they will never surrender."
The Hezbollah fighters are fighters, and the origins of Hezbollah amongst displaced Palestinians mean that these people will fight to the death and kill as many Israelis as they possibly can
Anthony Glees
On Friday night, Israel blitzed the command bunker of Nasrallah with more than 80 bombs in a last minute operation.
Israeli strikes ripped through the his underground bunker -eliminating the firebrand Secretary-General after a 32-year reign.
The IDF said at least 20 other Hezbollah militants were killed in the strike - including two close associates of Nasrallah.
The killing of the powerful militant group's longtime leader sent shockwaves throughout Lebanon and the Middle East.
It has left them reeling with no clear leader to steer them through the ensuing conflict on their doorstep.
Prof Glees says he is almost certain that whatever happens, Hezbollah will not be able to win against the IDF due to a lack of a strong leadership pushing them on.
6
6
Dr Ahron Bregman, a Senior Teaching Fellow at King's College London agrees - but argues the militia is still capable of wrecking havoc.
He said: "Hezbollah is still there, battered, bleeding, not in a good place, but it is still there you know, with up to 50,000 combatants, thousands of missiles and rockets."
The one way Prof Glees and many experts feel Israel could be pushed back, however, is if Iran come to the aid of their own manufactured terror group.
Israel's arch enemy has been issuing warnings for the last few months urging the IDF to stop their attacks - threatening escalation if they continue.
But so far they have remained mostly on the sidelines without causing any direct damage in response to Israel decimating Lebanon.
Prof Glees believes if Israel goes ahead with their planned offensive then Iran will be pushed into taking action.
Despite Iran's impressive war arsenal, Prof Glees believes their addition will prove inconsequential to Israel's mission of destroying Islamic terror groups in the region.
Hezbollah is still there, battered, bleeding, not in a good place, but it is still there you know, with up to 50,000 combatants, thousands of missiles and rockets
Dr Ahron Bregman
Speaking on Iran's involvement, he said: "They will launch some kind of attack against Israel and if they launch some kind of attack Israel will obliterate Iran because it's still in a position to do so with impunity.
";You can like it. You can loathe it. But the Israelis are not going to be dislodged."
Dr Ahron Bregman believes "all eyes are on Iran" as the world enters the most pivotal few days of the Lebanese conflict so far.
Dr Bregman - who served six years in the Israeli military reaching rank of Major - described Iran as facing a "terrible dilemma".
"It is a big question for them what to do next," he said.
"They've invested billions of riyads in Hezbollah over the years, and the idea was that Hezbollah will protect Iran if Israel attacks.
"But now they've found themselves in a situation where they have to protect the protector and they have to ask themselves what to do next."
Iran's four options should Israel invade Lebanon
AHRON Bregman says Iran is most likely now deciding on their next moves in response to Israel's aggression and a potential escalation.
The political scientist thinks those in charge of Iran's military has four main options should the invasion take place.
The first one is to simply abandon Hezbollah and "let Israel just finish the job" in Lebanon.
This will give them even more time to reassess their options and weaken Israel should Hezbollah put up a fight.
Ahron says this is the least likely option but with a regime like Iran nothing can be ruled out.
The second possibility is for them to react at a later date in the hope that Israel can be persuaded by their Western allies to halt any further advances.
Iran isn't known for its peace when attacked however with the final two of Ahron's options being to react to the violence with their own bloodshed.
They can either choose to order strikes at Israel - attacking major cities like Tel Aviv and supplying more powerful weapons to Hezbollah fighters.
Or they may chose to send in their remaining proxies in the Middle East to back up Hezbollah and push back at Israel.
Iran is also seen as the main controlling force for the Houthis in Yemen and many Shia militia groups in Iran, Iraq and Syria.
WORLD WAR FEARS
In the short term, Israel may be able to push Hezbollah and Iran back with their impressive battlefield skills and range of weapons.
But many fear that their dominance won't last long in the region - potentially triggering a war involving global powers.
Prof Glees said: "We're talking about many, many people who belong to the Islamic world who are not going to see the Islamic Republic of Iran humiliated.
"They're not going to see Shia Muslims, Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis be destroyed, and that that will trigger a much wider conflagration.
"That is what I am afraid of as today looks easy for Israel to get a tactical win but in the longer term there is the possibility of a World war.
"The stronger Israel is in the short term, the more hostile the anti-Israeli forces will be in the medium and longer term."
The Israeli military has already reopened fire at Houthi targets in Yemen today.
They attacked several sites including a power plant and sea port used to import oil.
We're talking about many, many people who belong to the Islamic world who are not going to see the Islamic Republic of Iran humiliated
Anthony Glees
Houthi fighters have blamed Israel for instability in the Middle East for years - blaming the "circle of conflict" on Israel's "continued crimes".
Western powers, who have sided with Israel throughout the last year as they battled with Hamas terrorists since October 7, are also expecting major escalation in the coming days.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told his military to reinforce its aerial presence in the Middle East.
Pentagon spokesman Air Force Major General Patrick Ryde said the measures have been put in place over fears of a possible Iranian revenge strike.
He said: "Secretary Austin made clear that should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every necessary measure to defend our people."
The Department of Defence announced last week that will also be joining up with the 40,000 fighters already in the Middle East.
The US has repeatedly called for calm in the region and has tried to bring about a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah this week.
Over a dozen countries scrambled to get a deal over the line only for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to reject the offer.
Days later, he authorised the attack which killed Nasrallah.
Those nations firmly against Israel have also spoken up.
You can like it. You can loathe it. But the Israelis are not going to be dislodged
Anthony Glees
China has been vocal in recent days, saying it opposes any violation of Lebanon's sovereignty.
Foreign minister Wang Yi also spoke at the UN General Assembly about wanting a "comprehensive ceasefire" in the Middle East.
Russia's Vladimir Putin is yet to comment on the latest strikes despite what many see as a growing relationship between him and Iran.
The two countries are said to be trying to help one another out with both sending each other weapons.
Russia's war with Ukraine has seen thousands of Iranian made UAV's and 300mph missiles used.
In return, reports say Putin may have handed over nuclear secrets as Iran continues to try and build a nuclear arsenal to compete with the world's most powerful military's.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will be the first diplomat to visit Iran since the deadly Hezbollah blasts.
He is set to meet Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday.
How Nasrallah's death could drag the West and end up with Khamenei's assassination
By Sayan Bose, Foreign News Reporter
ISRAEL has killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a series of massive aircraft strikes that rocked Lebanon.
It is all but certain that his death will mark a huge shift in the Middle East crisis, with Hezbollah being left incredibly weak and Iran losing grip on its biggest terror proxy.
Many experts are seeing the death of Nasrallah - considered by many to be the single most powerful individual in Lebanon - as a potential escalation in the regional crisis that could now explode into an all-out war.
And they fear that the West could soon get dramatically involved in the conflict.
Dr Alan Mandoza, Executive Founder of Brit think tank Henry Jackson Society, told The Sun: "The most likely Western power to become involved in any Middle Eastern conflict right now is the US, which might be brought into war through a Hezbollah or Iranian response to Israel’s recent successes.
"If Israel is bombarded by missile strikes, the US might well join in with its defence.
"[But] if the attack was from Iran, it could even see the UK and France join in.
"If Iran responds with real aggression then this could see a regional war break out. "
It's feared Iran could respond by targeting Israel directly, sending weapons through Iraq and Syria to Lebanon or sending fighters to Lebanon to shore up Hezbollah, Professor Fawaz Gerges from LSE told Sky News.
Following Nasrallah's death, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei - one of his closest allies - issued a chilling message to Israel.
He did not mention Nasrallah - but slammed Israel for the massive blitz on Lebanon.
Khamenei said Lebanon would make Israel "regret their actions" and blasted the "shortsighted and foolish" policies of Israeli leaders.
He claimed Israel was "too small" to cause any damage to Hezbollah.
However, there have been multiple reports as of this morning suggesting that Khamenei has been moved to a safe hideout inside Iran, prompting speculations that he too could be on Israel's hit list.
Dr Alan added: "Israel has already shown its ability to strike inside Iran with missiles and assassinations, so Ayatollah Khamenei will certainly be aware that he is an Israeli target.
"Israel will need a plan like the one it has deployed against Hezbollah in recent months in order to ensure that this is not simply one assassination but part of a concerted and concentrated assault against the whole of Iran’s leadership and the Islamic State’s ability to defend itself."
6
Topics