Iran stated on Sunday that it has “no red lines” when it comes to self-defense, as the Middle East remains on high alert for Israel’s potential retaliation following missile attacks from its long-standing adversary two weeks prior.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi’s remarks seemed aimed at countering any notion that Iran would passively accept an Israeli attack without responding, a stance it took earlier this year after Israel targeted Iran following a series of Iranian missile launches.

“Despite our significant efforts in recent days to prevent a full-scale war in our region, I want to make it clear that we have no red lines in protecting our people and interests,” Araqchi stated in a message on X.

On October 1, Iran launched over 180 ballistic missiles at Israel amid heightened tensions with its ally in Lebanon, Hezbollah. While many of the missiles were intercepted, some managed to breach missile defenses, resulting in the death of a Palestinian due to debris that fell in the West Bank.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has stated that Israel intends to respond to Iran in a manner that will be “lethal, precise, and surprising.” The situation in the Middle East remains tense as Israel confronts Iran-aligned groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza amid ongoing conflict.

According to NBC, U.S. officials believe that Israel has identified specific targets for its potential retaliation against the recent Iranian missile attacks, focusing on military and energy infrastructure. The report indicated that there are no plans to target nuclear facilities or conduct assassinations within Iran.

The NBC article referenced unnamed U.S. officials and noted that Israel has yet to finalize its strategy regarding the timing and method of its response. Additionally, both U.S. and Israeli officials suggested that a counteraction might occur during the Jewish Yom Kippur holiday, which concluded on Saturday evening without any Israeli military action.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the United Nations on Sunday to withdraw its peacekeeping troops from combat zones in Lebanon.

Netanyahu stated that the military has repeatedly requested the U.N. to remove the soldiers, asserting that their presence effectively makes them hostages of Hezbollah. Recent days have seen a series of attacks on peacekeeping positions and personnel, with UNIFIL attributing most of these incidents to Israeli forces, which has led to condemnation from the United Nations and various foreign governments. Five peacekeepers have sustained injuries as a result.

Hezbollah has refuted Israel’s claims that it holds the peacekeepers as hostages, arguing that Israel seeks their departure to eliminate oversight of its cross-border operations. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin conveyed “deep concern” during a conversation with Israeli Defense Minister Gallant on Saturday regarding reports of Israeli fire directed at peacekeeper positions, urging Israel to prioritize the safety of both the peacekeepers and the Lebanese military, which is not involved in the conflict with Hezbollah. Tensions escalated last year when Hezbollah began launching rockets into northern Israel at the onset of the Gaza war, with hostilities intensifying in recent weeks as Israel announced a ground incursion.

Israel’s military has confirmed that it is actively engaged in operations in southern Lebanon aimed at dismantling Hezbollah’s infrastructure.

In the last 24 hours, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) has targeted around 200 Hezbollah positions throughout Lebanon, particularly in the southern region. These strikes have focused on terrorist cells, missile launchers, anti-tank missile sites, and other facilities associated with terrorist activities.

Additionally, the Israeli military reported that five projectiles launched from Lebanon were successfully intercepted by its air force.

In a statement released on Sunday, the military noted that one reservist and an officer sustained serious injuries in two separate combat incidents in southern Lebanon, while other soldiers experienced light to moderate injuries.

Furthermore, the Israeli forces captured a Hezbollah militant in southern Lebanon after uncovering an underground tunnel that led to a cache of weapons and supplies intended for prolonged use.

Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on the Tirat HaCarmel transport base located in southern Haifa, as stated on Sunday.

According to the Lebanese government, Israel’s intensified military operations have resulted in the displacement of over 1.2 million individuals, with more than 2,100 fatalities and 10,000 injuries reported over the past year of conflict. This casualty figure does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but it includes a significant number of women and children.

The ongoing conflict in the region has prompted retaliatory actions from various Iran-aligned militant factions, including Yemen’s Houthis and armed groups in Iraq, heightening concerns that the United States and Iran may become embroiled in a broader war.

On Sunday, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced it had launched drone strikes against a military installation in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, asserting its support for the Palestinians and Lebanon. The group vowed to intensify its attacks on Israeli positions.

The hostilities in Gaza erupted following a Hamas-led offensive on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the abduction of approximately 250 others, as reported by Israeli sources.

In response, Israel has initiated a military operation in Gaza aimed at dismantling Hamas, which, according to the health ministry in Gaza, has resulted in over 42,000 Palestinian fatalities and extensive destruction across the territory. Israel has been focusing its large-scale military efforts on the northern region of Gaza for more than a week.