Iran's hardline forces should get ready to take revenge on Israel and the United States for the offensive on Lebanon, the head of the Revolutionary Guards was quoted as saying today.
"The Basij and Revolutionary Guards should prepare to get even with the Zionists and Americans," Yahya Rahim-Safavi was quoted as telling Islamic militiamen by the conservative Fars news agency.
The Basij are volunteer Islamic militiamen.
"The timing of the this will be announced by the leader," he added.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards are historically close to Hizbullah and were deployed in south Lebanon during the 1980s.
Mostafa Chamran, spiritual father of the Guards, forged his reputation fighting in Lebanon. The Basij and Revolutionary Guards are directly answerable to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Although Iran funded and armed Hizbollah in the 1980s, it has insisted recently its support is mainly moral and political.
However, many sources have said Iranian arms are being used against Israeli civilian and military targets.
An Israeli military source has said an Iranian-made C802 radar-guided land-to-sea missile with a range of nearly 100 kilometres hit and badly damaged a ship during Israel's offensive against Lebanon.
Hizbollah said it fired "Raad (Thunder) 2" and "Raad 3" rockets at a rail depot in Haifa. Raad missiles are Iranian.