Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon wounded in pager explosion

Shafaq News/ The Iranian ambassador to Beirut was reportedly injured in a pager blast in Beirut.

“Unconfirmed reports say that the Iranian ambassador in Lebanon was injured during a massive Israeli cyber attack in Lebanon and Syria.” Semi-official Mehr News Agency said.

“The ambassador was transferred to one of the hospitals in Beirut as he had been lightly injured in the coordinated cyber attack that hit several areas in Lebanon.” Mehr said.

“There have been reports that two other members of the Iranian embassy in Beirut were also injured.”

Earlier today, more than 1000 Hezbollah members were injured after communication devices (pagers) they were carrying exploded in Beirut's southern suburbs and southern Lebanon.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry has called on all hospitals to remain on high alert to accommodate emergency patients and advised individuals to distance themselves from pagers. Additionally, the ministry urged healthcare workers to avoid using wireless devices and called for blood donations in response to the incident.

Israel did not officially comment on the incident.

A Hezbollah official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media told The Associated Press, the explosions were the result of “a security operation that targeted the devices.”

“The enemy (Israel) stands behind this security incident,” the official said, adding that the new “pagers that Hezbollah members were carrying had lithium batteries that apparently exploded.”

Lithium batteries, when overheated, can emit smoke, melt, or even catch fire. Fires caused by these batteries can reach temperatures of up to 590°C (1,100°F).

Hezbollah-affiliated outlets claim that Israel can remotely detonate devices, either by causing their batteries to explode or by rigging the batteries themselves with small amounts of explosives, ranging from 10 to 20 grams. These devices are typically worn on the waist or kept in a pocket.

Hezbollah’s leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, had previously warned his fighters against using smartphones. A few months ago, Nasrallah issued orders for them to stop using the devices, highlighting Israel’s advanced technology that allows it to infiltrate and compromise smartphone communications.