The IDF signaled that a ground operation in Lebanon remains possible, saying “all options are on the table” as fighting with Hezbollah continues alongside the broader war with Iran.
Speaking at a briefing marking one week since the start of Operation Roaring Lion, IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Hezbollah has been paying a heavy price after opening fire from Lebanon.
IDF strikes in Lebanon
“After Hezbollah opened fire from Lebanon, we struck it with great force and it is paying a heavy price,” Defrin said. “All options are on the table.”
He said the military has intensified strikes in Dahieh, Hezbollah’s stronghold in southern Beirut, where Israeli forces have carried out repeated attacks targeting the group’s operatives.
“In recent days we have evacuated the Dahieh area. We are carrying out numerous strikes there and hunting Hezbollah operatives,” Defrin said.
He stressed that Israel will not compromise on dismantling Hezbollah’s military capabilities.
“We will not compromise on dismantling Hezbollah from its weapons,” he said.
Defrin also said the IDF is continuing operations against Iran together with the United States as the campaign enters its second week.
“Seven days since we launched Operation Roaring Lion, the IDF is striking the Iranian regime powerfully together with the U.S. military,” he said.
The IDF said hundreds of Air Force fighter jets carried out strikes over the past week against two of Iran’s main ballistic missile production sites, located in the Parchin and Shahroud areas.
IDF strikes in Iran
During a strike in Parchin on Thursday, Israeli aircraft targeted infrastructure used to produce key components for weapons systems, including factories producing explosive materials for ballistic missile warheads, facilities manufacturing specialized raw materials for missile engines, and a missile engine mixing and casting facility.
The military also said it struck a complex used for the research, development, assembly and production of advanced cruise missiles.
In a separate strike completed overnight about 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles) from Israel, the IDF targeted a ballistic missile production facility operated by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in the Shahroud area.
According to the military, Iranian forces had been working in recent months to restore infrastructure and expand missile production at the site after it was previously damaged earlier in the operation.
The IDF said the Shahroud facility produces a significant portion of the missiles fired toward Israel and across the region, and that the strike significantly damaged the site’s production capabilities.
“The IDF will continue progressing through the phases of the operation and will not stop until the existential threat is removed,” Defrin said.