Reuters: Iran and its regional allies to meet to discuss revenge against Israel

The region faces the risk of an expanded conflict between Israel, Iran and its representatives following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday and the assassination of the top commander of Hezbollah on Tuesday in an Israeli attack on the outskirts of Lebanese capital of Beirut.

Representatives of the Palestinian allies of Iran, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as well as the Yemeni-backed Tehranian Tehran, Lebanon's Hezbollah and Iraqi resistance groups will participate in the meeting in Tehran, sources said, who refused to be mentioned because of the sensitivity of the case.

<x0ran>Iran and members of resistance will conduct a full assessment after the meeting in Tehran to find the best and most effective way to retaliate against the Zionist regime (Israel)”, said a senior Iranian official, with direct knowledge of the meeting.

Another Iranian official said the Supreme Ayatolah leader Ali Khamenei and senior members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard will participate.

“How Iran will respond and the resistance front is currently being revised... This will certainly happen, and the Zionist regime (Israel) will no doubt regret this”, General Mohammad Bacheri, chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, told state television Thursday.

Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of carrying out the attack that killed Haniyeh hours after he participated in the inauguration of Iran's new president in Tehran on Wednesday.

But Israeli officials have not claimed responsibility for the attack that drew threats of revenge against Israel and sparked further concerns that the Israeli-Haams conflict in Gaza was turning into a comprehensive war in the Middle East.

Israeli Air Force chief Tomer Bar, speaking at a military graduation ceremony in Israel late Wednesday, warned that Israel would act against anyone planning to hurt its citizens.

“We are also strongly prepared in defence. Hundreds of air defence soldiers, along with air control personnel, are deployed across the country with the best systems willing to carry out their” mission, Bar, Report Express said.

Haniyeh and the leader of the Islamic Jihad, Ziad al-Nakhala, as well as high representative of the Lebanon-backed Houthi movement Tehran and Hezbollah attended the inauguration ceremony of Iran's new president in Tehran on Tuesday.

Hezbollah Deputy Chairman Naim Qassim and lawmaker Hasan Fadlah were in Iran for inauguration and have stayed there for the funeral and meeting, sources said.