IRGC commander says Israel faces ‘humiliation and defeat’ in Lebanon
Esmail Qaani, commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, has warned Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon or risk what he described as a repeat of its withdrawal from the country in 2000.
In a social media post cited by Iranian state media, Qaani said Israel would face "humiliation and defeat" if it continued what he called its aggression and occupation in southern Lebanon.
"If you do not withdraw from southern Lebanon on your own feet, the epic of the year 2000 will be repeated once again, the same year you fled this land in disgrace," he said. "The choice is yours."
The remarks referenced Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000, ending a military presence that had lasted 22 years.
Lebanese army soldier walks past the rubble of a branch of Lebanon’s central bank in Nabatieh following Israeli bombardment, 21 June 2026 (Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP)