Iran Pres-Israeli Attack On Lebanon 'Would Have Serious Consequences'

Iranian President-Elect Masoud Pezeshkian has held a call with President Emmanuel Macron of France. Pezeshkian tells Macron that "any possible Israeli attack on Lebanon will have serious consequences". Comes as the region awaits the response from Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to the rocket attack on the Golan Heights that killed 12 children and teenagers on 27 July. Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant have beengiven authorisationby the security cabinet to launch a response against Hezbollah, which the US says is responsible for the attack.

• The election of reformist Pezeshkian has raised some hopesin the West of a less combative Tehran. However, with Iran the main backer of Hezbollah in Lebanon, a wider escalation in violence on the Israeli-Lebanese border could drag Iran closer towards the conflict, limiting prospects of a rapprochement with the West.
• Comes as comments emergy from the White House NSA John Kirby on the incident. Says that Israel 'has every right to respond' to the attack, but that 'nobody wants an all-out-war' and the US is 'confident they will be able to avoid such an outcome.' Kirby says he does not believe the attack 'needs to result in escalation'.
• Says that there is 'no sign' the attack will affect indirect hostage talks between Israel and Hamas. Kirby confirms that negotiations regarding Hamas releasing hostages in exchange for a ceasefire in Gaza are ongoing.