(Web Desk) - Israel vowed to cut off 'the head of the snake' and launch a military attack against Iran if Tehran-backed ‘terror’ group Hezbollah joins the war.
In an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday, Nir Barkat, Israel's Minister of Economy, warned that Iran's Ayatollahs will be 'wiped off the face of the earth' should Hezbollah, their ‘proxy terror group’ in Lebanon, attack Israel.
His incendiary comments raise the grave spectre of a rapidly escalating regional conflict and come ahead of an expected Israeli ground invasion of the Gaza Strip to 'annihilate' Hamas.
Tens of thousands of Israeli soldiers are in position on the borders of the territory, where Hamas – which is also backed by Iran – is holding around 200 hostages seized in the violent assault on southern Israel on October 7.
But fears are growing that Israel could be forced to fight on two fronts, with Hezbollah and the Israel Defence Forces last week repeatedly trading fire across Israel's northern border with Lebanon.
In a direct threat to deter Tehran from intervening further, Mr Barkat warned that not only would Israel 'eliminate Hezbollah', if it believes the terror group is opening up a 'northern front', but 'we will actually target Iran.'
'The plan of Iran is to attack Israel on all fronts. If we find they intend to target Israel, we will not just retaliate to those fronts, but we will go to the head of the snake, which is Iran.
'Lebanon and Hezbollah are going to pay a heavy price, similar to what Hamas is going to pay. But that's not enough.
'The very clear message is that we are going to be going after the heads of Iran as well. When will we do that? When we decide.
'Israel has a very clear message to our enemies. We are saying to them, look what's happening in Gaza – you are going to get the same treatment if you attack us. We are going to wipe you off the face of the Earth.'