Iran vows revenge for Israel’s walkie-talkie attack on Hezbollah members in Lebanon

There are fears of an all-out war as Israeli troops move north and Iran plots a move to avenge the deaths of Hezbollah members killed in a dual wave of blasts.

• ‘Plot uncovered’: Theory over timing of pager explosions

Iran has vowed revenge for Israel’s dual wave of walkie-talkie and pager blasts which saw its proxy Hezbollah targeted leaving 37 people dead and 2,931 injured in Lebanon.

Following Wednesday’s attack where dozens of walkie-talkies blew up in Lebanon – a day after blasts targeting the pagers of Hezbollah members killed 12 people and wounded thousands - Israel moved thousands of troops to the north of the country as analysts believe it could be set to invade Lebanon.

Mourners chant slogans after dozens were killed when hundreds of paging devices exploded. Picture: AFP

Iran accused Israel of “mass murder” and said it “reserves its rights under international law to take required measures deemed necessary to respond.”

Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib feared the worst, telling CNN the latest tension could be “an introduction to war”.

“It’s a scary moment and we are afraid (of) coming to war, because we don’t want a war,” he said.

The Turkish government also pointed the finger at Israel, with foreign minister Hakan Fiden saying the “escalation in the region is alarming”.

“We see Israel mounting its attacks towards Lebanon step by step. We have come to a point where these operations carried out by Israel have become increasingly provocative,” he said on Thursday.

Turkey is now reviewing its measures to secure the communication devices used by its armed forces following the deadly blasts in Lebanon.

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DUAL-WAVE BLASTS FOCUS OF ISRAEL’S SECRET PLAN

The simultaneous detonation of low-tech devices held by Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon over two days was the end-point of an Israeli intelligence plan more than two years in the making, it has emerged.

A day after hundreds of pagers exploded in Lebanon, killing at least 12 people and wounding up to 2800, hand-held walkie talkies also spontaneously detonated, killing at least 20 people and wounding more than 450 others.

Hezbollah was quick to accuse Israel of detonating the devices remotely, but what was not immediately known was that the covert operation began in 2022, with the plotters biding their time until this week.

A man holds a walkie talkie device after he removed the battery during the funeral of people killed when hundreds of paging devices exploded in a deadly wave across Lebanon. Picture: AFP

According to an investigation by The New York Times, based on defence and intelligence agency sources, Israel planned the dual-wave attack by setting up a phantom technology company to distribute the pagers and walkie-talkies to Hezbollah.

The Hungary-based company, BAC Consulting, was contracted to the Taiwanese technology company Gold Apollo to produce the innocuous-looking explosive items, but the subterfuge was so sophisticated the company also produced normal pagers and walkie-talkies for other clients.

Mourners react after an explosion during the funeral of those killed when hundreds of paging devices exploded across Lebanon. Picture: AFP

A photo taken in Beirut's southern suburbs shows the remains of exploded pagers. Picture: AFP

According to the New York Times report, the scheme also utlised Hezbollah’s security concerns against it, by focusing on tampering with low-tech devices just as the terror group leadership started telling members to stop using their mobile phones, as they could be used to pinpoint their location.

The sources quoted by the Times said the explosive devices, which were distributed in Lebanon from summer 2022, were knows as “buttons” within itelligence circles, and were powered by just a few ounces of explosive material contained in their casings.

At least two other shell companies were created as part of the plot, the Times reported.

The moment a second explosive detonated in Lebanon during the funeral from the first pager bomb

WAR ENTERS ‘NEW PHASE’: ISRAEL STATES

Lebanon’s communications ministry said the walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah operatives that exploded killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 450 others were a discontinued model made by the Japanese firm ICOM.

The IC-V82 radios were not supplied by a recognised agent, were not officially licensed and had not been vetted by the security services, the ministry said.

ICOM has not made a comment on the matter. However on its website it says the IC-V82 has been discontinued, and almost all models in current circulation are counterfeit.

Photos circulating on social media, claiming to show some of the exploded devices, bear markings consistent with the IC-V82, a CNN analysis found.

Relatives mourn Fatima Abdallah, the 10-year-old girl killed after hundreds of pagers exploded in a deadly wave across Lebanon. Picture: AFP

It comes as Israel said its war had entered a “new phase” with the “centre of gravity” moving north, where Israel shares a border with Lebanon.

Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, said in reference to Israel’s border with Lebanon: “The centre of gravity is moving northward.” “We are at the start of a new phase in the war”, he said.

Hezbollah fighters carry the coffins of a person killed after hundreds of paging devices exploded in a deadly wave across Lebanon. Picture: AFP

ISRAELI’S RECEIVE MYSTERIOUS TEXT

Israeli authorities are looking into whether text messages telling Israelis to immediately enter their bomb shelters were sent by Iranian-linked actors, according to the Kan public broadcaster.

The Israel Defense Force says it did not send the “emergency warning” that reached thousdans of Israeli’s.

ISRAEL ‘SPED UP’ PAGERS ATTACK OVER PLOT FEARS

It comes amid claims Israeli officials moved to detonate pagers carried by Hezbollah operatives over concerns that the terror group might have uncovered their plot.

Sources told Axios that Mr Netanyahu and his officials gave the go-ahead for the co-ordinated attack when intelligence briefings in recent days suggested Hezbollah might have detected the explosives allegedly placed inside their pagers.

Additional sources claimed the decision to launch the follow-up attack, which saw thousands of Hezbollah walkie-talkie radios explode, was also brought forward over concerns that the terrorists would ditch the devices following the shock pagers attack, Axios reported.

HUNGARY DENIES PAGERS FACTORY CLAIM

The AR-924 pagers that were detonated on Tuesday were all the latest models acquired by Hezbollah five months ago and allegedly manufactured in Budapest, according to a statement released by Gold Apollo — a Taiwanese firm that authorised the use of its brand on the pagers.

Hungarian officials however, deny the allegations, saying it has no such manufacturing facility in the country.

“Authorities have confirmed that the company in question is a trading intermediary, with no manufacturing or operational site in Hungary,” government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said in a statement.

“The referenced devices have never been in Hungary,” he added.

The head office of the BAC Consulting KFT company in Budapest, Hungary. Taiwanese company Gold Apollo authorised the use of its brand on the AR-924 pagers but said they were manufactured by BAC Consulting KFT. Picture: Getty Images

Israeli Mossad agents allegedly hid explosive material in the Taiwan-made Gold Apollo pagers before they were imported to Lebanon, The New York Times reported, citing US and other officials briefed on the operation.

The material was implanted next to the battery with a switch that could be triggered remotely to detonate.

The exploding pagers were then detonated by a message impersonating the leaders of the group on Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

Following the attack, The Israeli Defense Forces said Hezbollah fired a 10 rocket barrage across the border, hitting open areas in northern Israel.

The Iran-backed terrorist group has vowed to retaliate against Israel for its alleged role in the communication device explosions.

“The resistance will continue today, like any other day, its operations to support Gaza, its people and its resistance which is a separate path from the harsh punishment that the criminal enemy (Israel) should await in response to Tuesday’s massacre,” a statement from Hezbollah read.

“This is another reckoning that will come, God willing,” the group added.

Originally published as Iran vows revenge for Israel’s walkie-talkie attack on Hezbollah members in Lebanon