On Sunday Iran vowed severe revenge against Israel not only for the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah during massive bombings on Friday in Beirut’s southern suburbs, but for the death of a top Revolutionary Guard official in the same airstrikes.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi gave high level confirmation for the first time that IRGC Deputy Commander, Gen. Abbas Nilforoushan – who apparently was meeting with Nasrallah at the time – was killed.

 Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Abbas Nilforoushan

Araghchi warned that this “horrible crime of the aggressor Zionist regime” will “not go unanswered.” However, he stopped short of specifying whether it would be a military response.

“The diplomatic apparatus will also use all its political, diplomatic, legal and international capacities to pursue the criminals and their supporters,” he said. But he also stipulated that Iran has a legal right to respond militarily under international law if it wished. Nilforoushan was a top commander within the IRGC’s foreign intelligence and operations arm, the Quds force.

Simultaneous to the warning from the Islamic Republic’s foreign ministry, Iran’s vice president for strategic affairs, Javad Zarif, said a response “will occur at the appropriate time and at Iran’s choice, and decisions will definitely be made at the leadership level, at the highest level of the state,” according to state IRNA.

Iran’s Guardian Council meanwhile said that Israel will “receive a forceful answer” and ultimately threatened “the destruction of the Zionist regime” – as cited in Fars news agency.

Meanwhile, more Israeli reservists and tanks have appeared along the Israel-Lebanon border in a sign that the IDF could be preparing to start a ground offensive, Al Jazeera has observed. Inbound rocket alarms have continued sounding in parts of northern Israel, particularly the Safed area, on Sunday.

Israel’s Haaretz has also said the following: “U.S. officials say ‘small-scale border movements’ into Lebanon may have begun.”

Israeli strikes on Beirut, the south, and Bekaa Valley area have continued for seven days straight…

⚡️Baalbak pic.twitter.com/JEWY6AqZiY

— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) September 29, 2024

On Sunday, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said it’s as yet unclear what Hezbollah or Iran might do next. “The rhetoric certainly suggests they’re going to try to do something, coming out of Tehran,” adding that it’s “too soon to know how Iran’s going to react to this,” he said.

Kirby called for restraint, also saying that Israel “will not be able to safely get people back into their homes in the north of the country by waging an all-out war with Hezbollah or Iran.” 

On Sunday Israel conducted fresh airstrikes on Yemen, in response to Houthis firing ballistic missiles targeting Tel Aviv:

Israel targets the port of Hodeidah following ballistic missile attacks on Tel Aviv.

This is Yemen’s fourth largest city. Serious implications for the civilian population. The port is a lifetime for aid, food and power. pic.twitter.com/S5m7rjemBe

— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) September 29, 2024

The Pentagon has in the last days sent additional troops and assets to the region, with some going to Cyprus, ready to assist in Israel’s defense or also help evacuate American citizens from Lebanon if things continue to spiral. The war could spread to also engulf Yemen, Syria, and Iraq in the scenario that Iran and Israel enter a direct war.

Below are some further weekend developments via Al Monitor correspondent Joyce Karem:

Nasrallah’s body recovered
Ali Karaki confirmed dead
Nabil Qawook killed
Iran to avenge killing of IRGC officer
Israeli strikes continue
Hezbollah fires barrage of rockets
Israeli strikes in Syria
French FM visits Lebanon