Iranian ambassador Mojtaba Amani wounded in Hezbollah explosion

Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, was wounded on Tuesday, losing an eye when his pager exploded, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, confirming reports on Arab media.

Initially, the Qatari state-run media outlet Al Jazeera reported that Amani's injuries were "superficial," however, according to later reports, both the Iranian state-run news outlet al-Mehr and the New York Times confirmed he was severely wounded. Nevertheless, whether the ambassador was near someone carrying one of the tampered pagers or whether Amani was carrying one himself remained unclear.

Moreover, according to reports, Amani suffered severe wounds to his head, which resulted in a severe wound to one eye and losing another, the New York Times noted, without mentioning Amani's remaining sight capabilities.

News of the envoy's wounds came amid panic across the streets of Lebanon as hundreds of members of the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah were seriously wounded in similar incidents.

A Reuters journalist saw hundreds of Hezbollah members bleeding from wounds in the southern suburb of Beirut known as Dahiyeh. The news also comes only hours after the Shin Bet revealed that Hezbollah recently attempted to assassinate a top former Israeli defense official in Tel Aviv.

According to the New York Times, IRGC personnel who knew of the attack said Amini's wounds "were more serious than Iran initially reported," the report noted, with the IRGC's leading news website's Editor in Chief Hossein Soleimani posting on X, formerly Twitter, that, "Unfortunately the [wounds] sustained by Iran's ambassador were extremely severe and in his eyes."

Iran condemns Israel

Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, condemned Israel's attack and expressed Iran's readiness to evacuate the Iranian ambassador and other wounded to Iran for medical treatment. During a call with Lebanon's foreign minister, Araghchi expressed his wishes for a swift recovery to the ambassador.

The blasts, which wounded two of the ambassador's bodyguards, were attributed to pagers that exploded. Citing Iranian media and a member of the Revolutionary Guards, the New York Times report explained that these devices beeped for about ten seconds before detonating, leading some to inspect them closely, and therefore, were more likely to suffer head and face wounds. The New York Times's article further noted that these pagers were typically used by Hezbollah members, suggesting a targeted attack.

Hezbollah has accused Israel of being responsible for the explosions amidst ongoing tensions that escalated following the Hamas-led attacks on Israel in October 2023. The situation reflects the complex dynamics of Iran's involvement in Lebanon, where ambassadors are appointed from the Revolutionary Guards to facilitate connections with allied militant groups, part of what is referred to as the "axis of resistance."

Recent explosions in Lebanon have heightened fears among Iranian government supporters, prompting concerns about Israel's ability to conduct remote attacks. Many believe these blasts have revealed the identities of Hezbollah members, as footage circulated showing victims receiving medical treatment.

Mohammad Ali Abtahi, a former Iranian vice president, described the attacks as indicative of "a new phase in technological warfare replacing conventional war" on Telegram. His post highlights the advancements in warfare, where, in the past, people would pull a string to fire an arrow; nowadays, a person may press a button to trigger explosives at a distance.

Tensions are already high following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July. Although Iran has vowed retaliation, it has refrained from action, listening to diplomatic warnings against regional escalations.